The Trouble in the Triangle
by hot4booth
Summary: Booth admits to Hannah that Brennan has feelings for him. While Hannah has trouble with the news, Booth continues to deny his real feelings and convince Hannah that she is the woman he wants. Will Booth and Brennan finally realize they need each other?
1. The Partial Confession

**Title:** The Trouble in the Triangle

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Summary: **Booth admits to Hannah that Brennan has feelings for him. While Hannah has trouble with the news, Booth continues to deny his real feelings and convince Hannah that she is the woman he wants. How will Booth and Brennan resolve their feelings for each other?

**Spoilers:** Season 6 (Based on Promos and spoilers for future episodes)

**Rating:** K+ (I may change it to T in later chapters.)

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 1: The Partial Confession**

Booth was driving Hannah crazy. He was acting unusual and his denial that anything was wrong was starting to worry her. For the third time in the last week, she was going to confront him on the matter. And this time, he wasn't going to beg her to let it go.

"Seeley, we need to talk."

Booth sighed heavily. He didn't want to talk to Hannah about what had been on his mind all week. If he couldn't deal with it, how was Hannah going to be able to deal with it?

"Seeley, please. I'm starting to get worried." Booth nodded slightly and turned off the hockey game. "Thank you," she said softly.

"It's Bones," he said simply. Maybe she would let it go thinking he was only worried about her rather than himself. "She's been having trouble with the last case."

"Still? I thought her friends were making a greater effort to include her in their plans so she wouldn't feel alone."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"So why are you constantly sulking? You walk around here aimlessly. You hardly ever talk. You stay up late not being able to sleep and you won't let me comfort you. You've barely touched me in a week, Seeley! There's something you're not telling me, isn't there?" Booth had been looking down the whole time she spoke to him, but now he looked up at her. Hannah gasped at what she saw. He looked anxious, sad, and frightened. "I'm right. There's something you're not telling me about Temperance."

"I'd rather deal with this on my own. The last thing I want to do is worry you."

"Seeley! I'm already worried!"

Booth got up and started pacing. "Okay, fine. You already know that Bones started worrying that she was like the victim… that she would die alone without anyone missing her." He stopped pacing and sat down next to her on the couch. He leaned forward with arms resting on his legs. Staring down at his hands, he continued slowly and cautiously. "She's having regrets on how she has lived her personal life. All her adult life, she hasn't believed that relationships last. She expects people to leave her because so many people in her past have left her… including her family."

"Her family?"

"Yeah. First her parents and then her brother. She was fifteen and ended up in the foster care system."

"That's awful! Poor Temperance. I can see why that would affect her. Go ahead. I want to hear more. Maybe I can help her."

"It's important to me that the two of you are friends. You're both so important to me, but I don't think this is something you can help her with. You just need to trust me on this."

"I don't like it, but I'll respect your wishes. But that doesn't mean I can't help you with it. It's obviously bothering you. Please don't shut me out, Seeley."

The pain in her eyes was killing him. It's partly why he had been avoiding her all week. That pain would only increase if she knew the truth. But now she had him cornered. He had to talk. He just hoped that she would trust him.

"Bones confided in me something that she was feeling. She… She wishes that she had a chance for a relationship with me."

"What?" shrieked Hannah.

"Please don't get upset, Hannah. I need you to understand. This is hard enough for me."

"What did you say to her? What exactly is hard for you? Facing her every day knowing how she feels or do you have feelings for her too and you don't know what to do?" Her voice was rising as she continued to talk. Her heart was racing so hard it felt as if it might just jump right out of her chest. "Seeley? What did you tell her?"

"I told her I was with you. I told her that I love you." She relaxed slightly but Booth could still see the terror in her eyes. "She knows I wouldn't leave you. We've known each other a long time. She knows how loyal I am. She knows that I love you. She's determined to adjust and to move on."

"Move on? What are you not telling me, Seeley?"

"That's it. That's what is bothering me. She's my partner and close friend. It's bothering me and I have to figure this out on my own. I need you to let me handle this."

"What exactly is it that you need to figure out? You're scaring me."

"I need to figure out how to act around her!"

"You need to do this alone? What about me? This week you haven't known how to act around me. Maybe you're trying to decide how to act around both of us."

"Hannah, don't make more of it than it is. I love you. I don't want that to change."

"But you said you need time."

Booth felt nauseous. He couldn't lose Hannah. She was what made life continue every morning. She loved him. He needed her. "Hannah, please understand that this is just temporary. Everything will work out. You love me, right? Please tell me you love me."

**Author's Notes: I'm almost ready to update 2 of my other stories. I just had to get this story started. The spoilers were eating at me and I needed to make myself hopeful… even if it is just fiction. *u***

**Chapter 2 coming soon… **How will Hannah respond? How is Brennan dealing with moving on? What happens when Hannah refuses to talk to Brennan?


	2. Some Shrink You Are

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Spoilers:** Season 6 (Includes Promos and spoilers for future episodes)

**Author's Notes:** Thank you for your reviews. I'm a bit anxious about this one since I'm writing more angst than I have in the past. Just remember… I'm a shipper *u*

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 2: Some Shrink You Are**

_**Flashback: yesterday afternoon**_

"Hey, Sweets. Thanks for coming a few minutes early," greeted Booth at the diner.

"No problem. What's up?"

"You know Bones almost as well as I do." Sweets did his best to keep his facial expression neutral while the curiosity started to build inside of him. After a few moments, he continued as he knew he would if he waited quietly. "She has regrets about us."

Sweets eyebrows went up involuntarily. "Dr. Brennan admitted to something like that? When? What did you do?"

"Calm down Sweets or I'm kicking you out of here."

"Sorry. Go ahead."

"Last week after the case was closed, I was worried about her and figured she would end up at the Jeffersonian all night in Limbo. She started to drive into a bad part of town. She parked her car outside a run down building and was wandering towards it without paying any attention to where she was. Sweets… if I hadn't been there, she would have been hit by a car!"

Sweets jaw dropped. "Agent Booth, you should have told me this last week!"

"I'm telling you now. Besides, she seems better."

"What does this have to do with regrets?"

"Stop interrupting." Booth massaged the back of his neck for a moment, clearly showing Sweets he was under a lot of stress. "I drove her home. She was sobbing. Bones was sobbing." Sweets wanted to ring his neck. "She has regrets about not giving us a chance at something more than friendship. I said the only thing I could. I'm with someone else and that Hannah wasn't a consolation prize. I love her." He sighed looking off into no where reliving the scene in the car. "She said she could adjust."

"Wow! That's… That's seriously, wow!"

"Wow. That's it?" Booth asked incredulously.

"Are you worried that you may still have feelings for Dr. Brennan?"

"What? No! Of course, not. I'm with Hannah and she deserves for me to make our relationship work."

"She deserves you to make it work?"

"She quit her job and followed me all the way from Afghanistan, Sweets. No one has ever loved me enough to drop everything for me. I'm not about to walk away like some shmuk."

Sweets had a lot more questions he wanted to ask. He wasn't convinced he didn't love Brennan. "It seems to me that Dr. Brennan isn't the only one who has to adjust. How are you doing working with her since she revealed her feelings?"

"I adjusted before. I moved on. I can deal with Bones."

"But…" led Sweets.

"Do you think I should tell Hannah?" _There it is_, thought Sweets. …_the underlying problem of loving two women and not knowing how to move ahead._

"What is it that you want to achieve? Only you can answer that."

"Some shrink you are!" mumbled Booth.

Sweets nodded towards the door and Booth turned around to find Brennan walking into the diner.

Brennan walked in to find Booth and Sweets sitting at their usual table. She was running a little late due to the phone call she just finished. If something like this had happened a week ago, she would have brushed the guy off and never given him a second thought. But she was going to show Booth she could also adjust. She took a seat next to Booth so she wouldn't have to look him directly in the eye so much.

"Sorry I'm late. Where's Hannah?" She was starting to like Hannah despite the fact that she was the source of Booth's affections.

Sweets was immediately interested in Brennan's question. Booth could see it clearly and gave him a glare he hoped Brennan wouldn't see. "Uh, she's got some special assignment out of the city." It was true. Hannah didn't have to know that she was meeting Brennan and Sweets for lunch without her.

"Oh, that's too bad. I was hoping to get some advice." Booth shot Sweets a look that said, _"See. They are getting along fabulously."_

Sweets couldn't help himself. "I think it's great that you've been able to become friends with Booth's girlfriend. I guess I was wrong all those years when I claimed that the two of you had a surrogate relationship and couldn't form other relationships." Booth, of course, just had to be taking a drink of his water and swallowed it down the wrong pipe making him gasp for air. Sweets knew he was in trouble and needed to move the conversation into another direction. "What kind of advice are you seeking?"

"Not that it's any of your business… I just need guy advice." Booth started choking on his food. "Booth? Are you alright?" She gave him a quizzical look.

"Dr. Brennan, that's great! Who's the lucky guy?"

"Oh, just one of the officers at the scene, yesterday. I'm meeting him for coffee later this evening."

Booth felt an odd sensation run through him. He didn't want to take the time to figure out what it meant, but it did make him feel a little more secure with Hannah. If Bones was moving on already, Hannah should have no reason to get jealous… or worse. He just didn't know if he could put it to a test.


	3. Friends Need Friends

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Spoilers:** Season 6 (Includes Promos and spoilers for future episodes)

**Author's Notes:** You will notice that I have episode spoilers inter-mixed. Author's choice but still deals with the issues presented in the sides, interviews, and spoilers. I hope you like it! *u*

Thank you for your reviews: **boneslover97** (Yeah, I think she needs a guy/life, too. And I thought that it would be a better way of her dealing with things other than retreating back into her shell. If the spoilers are what I think they are, she won't retreat.), **Pirate Til The End** (Jealousy is good!), **SouthunLady** (Not to worry. I won't drag it out. I want to finish certain story lines before related episodes air and have the story completed _before_ the next hiatus.), **Animagus-Step** (Yeah, I thought it was violated, too, if it plays out like we think it will), **Gemily5** (I dread it, too. And yes, it will have a happy ending because I really think it will after rewatching _Harbingers_ the other day.), **Aching Bones** (I agree, he wants his cake and eat it too!), **cast19, xoxokiss201, Tartantrace **(Thanks for the praise!)

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 3: Friends Need Friends**

_**From chapter 1:**_

"_Hannah, don't make more of it than it is. I love you. I don't want that to change."_

"_But you said you need time."_

_Booth felt nauseous. He couldn't lose Hannah. She was what made life continue every morning. She loved him. He needed her. "Hannah, please understand that this is just temporary. Everything will work out. You love me, right? Please tell me you love me."_

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Hannah's mind was in overdrive. Hannah wanted to trust him. Seeley and Temperance had a history. She believed it was possible that his feelings could possibly mirror Temperance's without even realizing it. She knew she could trust him with her heart, but could she trust him to do what's right with his own heart? The man was loyal to a fault. She loved him more than she had ever loved any other man in her past, but if he was accepting second best for his heart, she would end up hurt anyway. Neither one of them could be truly happy if that was the case. They would come up lacking. God, she loved him. Would she love him in a year from now? What about ten years from now? Seeley was going to want the whole package. Did he expect more children? She didn't think so. What if she's wrong? She needed to calm down. Seeley looked like he was panicking. One day at a time. She knew she loved him, today. The rest would come in time.

"Of course, I love you." Hannah embraced Booth and she could physically feel him relax. They stayed like that for a few minutes before she led him down the hall. She curled up next to him and held him until he fell asleep. Sleep would be a long time in coming for her.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Brennan was in her office consulting on the phone with an anthropologist in another department when she received a text from Booth asking if she would meet him at the diner for lunch. Once her call was completed, she sent a quick text back to confirm. She was disappointed that she hadn't heard back from Hannah. She hoped that she could find out from Booth what may be keeping her busy.

"Hey, Sweetie. You look puzzled. Everything okay?" asked Angela.

"Oh, it's nothing," explained Brennan. She looked skeptical. "Really, Ange."

"I'll let it go this time, but don't get used to it."

Brennan let a smirk slip momentarily. "It looks like we need to go shopping," she said nodding at her stomach.

"That's why I'm here. I was hoping you could come with me to my doctor's appointment and then we could go shopping for maternity clothes."

"You don't need me to pick out your clothes," Ange.

Angela sighed. "Of course, not. But it is a lot more fun!"

"That's what you keep telling me," she chuckled at her friend. "What time is your appointment?"

"At 3:00. I've already talked to Cam about it. Have you had lunch?"

"I'm meeting Booth at the diner."

Angela raised her brows. "Oh really? With Booth or with Booth and Hannah?"

"He didn't say but I expect Hannah to be there."

"She always is," mumbled Angela. Angela sounded annoyed but Brennan couldn't imagine why. "I'll see ya this afternoon, Sweetie. Say "hi" to that studly agent for me," she said as she walked out of her office.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Brennan walked into the diner a few minutes after Booth and found him seated in their usual Booth in the back corner. Brennan was taken by surprise when Booth stood and helped her with her coat. She stared at him for a few moments before she cleared her mind and sat down.

"It turns out I'm sort of in a hurry so I ordered for us already. I hope you don't mind," said Booth.

"No, of course not. What's the rush?" It was then that she noticed the haunted look in his eyes. "Booth, is everything okay?"

"Not really."

When had she heard that from him before? It wasn't like him to act defeated like that, yet it was very familiar. He continued to sit quietly. Usually the silence didn't bother her. Usually it was companionable silence. This was different. "Booth, despite all the changes that have happened, I'm still your friend and partner. I hope you know that."

His eyes softened. "Thanks, Bones. I don't think I'll get through this case without you. Honestly, you're the only person who will understand the significance of this case."

"I don't understand. Do we have a body to go see? We could have had lunch a little later." Then she remembered Angela and looked at her watch.

"Something pressing your time, today, too?"

"Oh, I have plenty of time even if we have a crime scene. I'm going with Angela to her doctor's appointment and then we're going shopping for maternity clothes."

"You are going shopping with Ange?" He smiled. "That will take awhile."

Brennan chuckled. "Unfortunately, you're right. So where's Hannah? I haven't heard from her although I sent her a text hours ago. Is she on a special assignment?"

"Uh, no. When I found out about my next case, I knew I needed to just talk to you."

"Oh," she responded genuinely surprised. "You keep referring to the case as yours. This isn't something I'll be working on with you? I don't understand."

He sighed heavily. "We have a serial sniper in the area."

Brennan's lips formed an "O". She suddenly knew the magnitude the case would have on him. She just didn't know why he was coming to her for help. "Booth, I will help in anyway I can. What can I do?"

"Thanks, Bones. I just think I'll need a friend through this one," he confided.

"You know I'll be here for you, Booth. I will always be here. But what about Hannah?" she asked hesitantly.

"She doesn't know me like you do," he admitted without continuing to make eye contact.

**Author's Notes: The "Not Really" quote is from _Harbingers._ It's quoted in chapter 13 of my one-shots in_ Now That's More Like It_. Or you can watch it in the episode. You'll find it in the scene when Booth confesses that he loves Bones and then retreats and says it's in a professional atta boy kind of way. We know how Booth has been feeling defeated for awhile now when it comes to Bones, but I don't think she's ever realized it. And professionally, I don't think it's normal for Booth to feel defeated.**

**Okay, the stage has been set. In future chapters, we will see the characters deal with the serial sniper, we will see how the relationships between Booth, Hannah, and Brennan change, we will see what will develop in Angela's pregnancy, and we will discover what Hodgins' secret is. I'd like to get these story lines more developed before Thursday's episode. Hope you are long for the ride! **


	4. Can All of This be Compartmentalized?

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Spoilers:** Season 6 (Includes Promos and spoilers for future episodes)

**Author's Notes:** You will notice that I have episode spoilers inter-mixed. There will also be my own story lines mixed in with the spoilers. In case you haven't heard any of the new spoilers, you can find links in the Boneyard on the Fox site. I'm pretty excited that I had a couple of them already decided for my story before reading them.

About this chapter: I have no idea how old Angela is, but for the purposes of this story, I'm saying she is 35. It's a serious one and I rewrote this chapter several times. I couldn't even decide on a title very easily. Hope this works, okay. I really want to get a chapter a day done up until Thursday and then I can slow down a bit, I think.

I left responses to your reviews at the end!

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 4: Can All of this Really be Compartmentalized?**

"Bren, I'm so glad you came. It looks like it'll be a longer wait than usual. This waiting room is packed. And I read all of these parent magazines the last time I was here."

Brennan smiled at her bubbly friend. "Thank you, Ange, but next time you're here alone, why don't you bring something to do? I never go anywhere there may be a wait without something to read or do."

"Of course, you don't, Sweetie. Now spill. How was lunch?"

"Different." Angela's interest was peaked, but Brennan knew she wouldn't be talking about the sniper case, at least not yet. She knew very little about it and since the Jeffersonian wasn't involved she would have to explain why Booth wanted to talk to her. She was pretty sure that would be in the _"What's ours is ours"_ category.

"Earth to Brennan," sang Angela.

"What?"

"You were a million miles away, Brennan. Now I _know_ you have things to talk about." Angela smiled. It only grew wider when Brennan talked again.

"Angela, it would be impossible for me to be a million miles away and still be here to talk to you."

Angela rolled her eyes. "Just an expression, Sweetie. But I know you were thinking about something good."

Brennan knew she had to think of something quickly about lunch. "Hannah."

"Hannah? What about Hannah?"

"She wasn't there. It was different like I said."

"No Sweets, either?" Brennan shook her head. "Wow. That was different. Was it like old times?"

Brennan thought about Booth and his actions and expressions along with their conversation. He seemed closer to the man she knew last spring. "I felt like I was talking to a friend rather than just a partner. So, yes, a little closer to what we used to be like. I would have to say that would be defined as a gray area, although, the idea is still foreign to me."

"Aww! Sweetie. I'm so proud of you."

"I can't imagine why. I hate psychology. I like things to be proven and have certainty."

"I'm quite aware of that which is why I'm proud of you for seeing that not everything can be simplified into absolutes. There are parts of relationships that are irrational and uncertain sometimes. But life would be boring if there were only two colors in our world."

"I would find it comforting."

"I find the colors in my art soothing."

"I do like your art."

"Mrs. Montenegro-Hodgins?" called a nurse from the side door.

"You coming, Sweetie?"

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Booth had just been briefed by Cullen and Caroline less than a half an hour ago. Cullen had been concerned about assigning the job to him because of his recent tour of duty. But he assured him that he agreed with Cullen's superiors that his knowledge of snipers would be advantageous to the investigation. Besides, the criminals being targeted were men and women he and Caroline had put behind bars. Some of them were cases that Bones and the squints were involved with but not all of them. So far, he managed to give Bones only the barest of facts. He didn't want her to worry.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"Are you okay, Ange? We could go shopping on another day."

"I'll be fine. I'm just not sure when or how to tell Jack about the testing."

"Do you want me to be there with you to explain the reasons and risks involved? I would be happy to help."

"I think I'll take you up on that offer. In the meantime, let's go shopping. It'll take my mind off of things."

Brennan was glad she was able to compartmentalize so well. She was beginning to worry about her abilities with it for the past few months, but after confessing her regrets to Booth, she knew with certainty that it was time to move on, too.

"What do you think of this outfit?" She turned to her best friend with determination to pay attention.

"I think it looks very serviceable."

"Ugh! That bad?"

"I didn't say it was bad. I like it. Why don't you go and try it on?"

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Booth had just finished questioning a few of the guards on duty when he realized that the prisoners were outside. He was angry that his suggestions had not been followed despite the fact his involvement hadn't been official until an hour ago. Extra security needed to be in place. At least there hadn't been any out-going transports that day. He decided to take the time to stake out the surrounding area. So far, there hadn't been any victims on site, but he wasn't taking any chances. He wanted to see these prisoners serve out their sentences.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"Angela, I think you have enough maternity clothes for work and for going out." Brennan looked at her friend carrying two bags while she carried five.

"I wish you would let me carry another bag."

"I'm fine, Angela. I want to carry them."

"You know who you just sounded like, don't you?" Brennan looked confused. "Booth. You don't like it when he carries things for you and you never get it. He wants to do it."

"Hmm. I guess I never thought about what he wanted." She sighed. "It doesn't matter now anyway."

"You don't know that. Booth isn't married to her."

"He might as well be."

"Do you know something that I don't?"

Brennan silently groaned, but thankfully, her cell phone gave her an escape.

"Here. Let me take the bags in your right hand." Brennan looked at the text message and sighed. "Not who you wanted it to be?"

"No. I've been waiting for Hannah all day."

"How are things working out for the two of you? It can't be easy."

"It's as easy as I want to make it be. Booth is happy. I don't mind being friends with her. In fact, I'm waiting to talk to her so we can talk about the guy I met for coffee last night."

"Brennan! Why didn't you tell me about him?" Angela was obviously hurt.

"I just was using it as an excuse to show Booth I'm making an effort with his girlfriend, but now I'm annoyed I haven't heard from her."

"Forget about her. Who's the guy?"

"It's nothing serious… just a responding officer at the last scene. His name is Jake." She hurriedly added, "It's not a big deal. Please don't squeal."

Angela's cell rang and she huffed her sudden annoyance.

"Here. Let's play musical bags."

"I don't believe I hear any music," mumbled Brennan.

"Jack, did you get my message…. Good…. Yeah…. Thanks, love you, too." She dropped her phone back into her purse. "Okay. All is set. Jack is picking up Thai on the way home. You ready for this?" She knew her best friend would be fine; it was Hodgins she was worried about.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Booth had tracked down his next target with disdain. Just the thought of having to talk with her made him ill. Heather Taffet, the Gravedigger, was waiting for him across the yard for him to take her inside to an interrogation room. Just as he was approaching, he saw her collapse and a second later heard the shot. The guard went down before he had his gun pulled. He dropped to the ground and rolled the extra two feet for cover. The first thing he noticed was all of the blood. Who did it belong to?

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"It's called anAmniocentesis," explained Brennan to Jack as Angela listened intently. She had heard it once from the doctor, but hearing it from her brilliant best friend was more reassuring. "It's a standard prenatal test for women 35 and older."

"Why is it important?" asked Hodgins.

"It's a test that can identify genetic abnormalities."

"Such as…" Hodgins encouraged.

"The most common birth defects it detects are Down Syndrome, Sickle cell disease, Cystic fibrosis, Muscular dystrophy, and Tay-Sachs." Angela was calm probably because she had heard it once before that afternoon. But Hodgins suddenly looked sick.

"Jack? It's going to be okay. There probably isn't anything wrong. Please don't be upset."

Jack was in shock about what he was hearing. "So, you're saying women 35 and older are at higher risk. I would naturally assume the risk would be even higher if the genetic defects ran in family."

Brennan thought that was an odd thing to say. He looked uncomfortable, but she found him hard to read at times. "Yes, but like Ange said, everything is probably just fine. It's just a precaution so that you have time to mentally prepare yourselves if it is a possibility."

"I'm sorry Ange. If I had known, I would have gone with you to your appointment." He leaned over and affectionately kissed his wife. "When do you have to have this done?"

"It's still a couple of weeks away. And I'm sure it will be fine with Cam if we're both gone for the afternoon."

"I'm sure Cam wouldn't want it any other way. And she would be a good person to talk to for anymore questions. My knowledge in the area is limited."

Brennan's cell phone rang and she furrowed her brows at the caller ID.

"Brennan? What's wrong?" Her friend looked extremely pale and was shaking.

"Dr. B. Let me have your phone." Hodgins spoke to the person on the other end. "Ange, get her in the car."

"Where are we going? Who was that?" asked Angela hysterically.

"Dr. B. is Booth's emergency contact. I should probably call Hannah." He scrolled through the people on Brennan's phone while grabbing his coat and keys.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

**Author's Notes: So, what do you think about Angela? What about Booth and Heather Taffet? How will Brennan handle the many things that are coming at her? What's up with Hodgins? Where's Hannah?**

Thanks for the wonderful reviews! **Pirate Til The End **(Aww! Your review especially put a huge smile on my face. How could I procrastinate updating after that? **bones35** (I admit that I like clingy Booth. And his sappy eyes are to die for. Hope you enjoy part 1 of the sniper story!) **HouseBonesLove** (I hope Booth won't seem cold for long. He has seemed that way on the show for me so I think some transition time is needed. I think leaning on Bones because of the sniper case is the first step.) **Boneslover97** and **Aching Bones** (You're right. Bones knows him best. I hope Booth remembers this on the show *_^) **Tartantrace **(Things are about to get interesting for Hannah.) **Chymom and serie-bones** (Thanks for the praise. If things go normal here at home, I hope to have an update everyday this week.) A new Bones Day this week!


	5. I Insist

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Spoilers:** Season 6 (Includes Promos and spoilers for future episodes)

**Author's Notes:** You will notice that I have episode spoilers inter-mixed. There will also be my own story lines mixed in with the spoilers. We have some angst to get through before the fluffy stuff comes. But it will come. I love fluff and it must be between B&B!

I left responses to your reviews at the end!

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 5: I Insist**

"Brennan? Sweetie? We're here." Angela was becoming very worried about her friend. She hadn't spoken or made eye contact since they left the house.

Hodgins pulled into valet parking so he could help his wife walk Dr. B. into the emergency room entrance. When they walked into the waiting room, Hannah was already there. She made no effort to talk with the small group and at first it went unnoticed. Angela and Jack's first priority was Brennan. "Sweetie. Look at me. Everything is going to be alright."

"She finally spoke. You can't know that, Ange. You know what happened last time. I need to find Booth. I need to call Cullen." She looked over at Hannah. "Have you seen Booth or talked with a doctor?" Hannah simply shook her head and Brennan got up to walk towards admitting but lost her balance.

"Dr. B., sit down. You're pale and shaking. You're starting to panic. You can't do that. You're Booth's medical power of attorney." He purposely spoke in short direct sentences.

Hannah's head shot up and she looked at Brennan. "What did you say?" She didn't wait for an answer. "If you're this fragile in an emergency, why would Seeley give you that kind of power?"

All three of them sat staring at her. "Hannah, I'll be fine. It was just a shock at first. I don't even know if I'll have to make any decisions this time, but if I do, I'll want your input. I promise."

"It's okay Temperance. You're the genius and Seeley trusts you." All was quiet for a few moments when a doctor came into the waiting room.

"Family of Seeley Booth?" questioned the doctor.

"Agent Seeley Booth," corrected Brennan. Hodgins smirked. Brennan offered her hand. "I'm Dr. Temperance Brennan."

"Dr. Brennan," he acknowledged. "I'm Dr. Whitcomb. Agent Booth is in surgery. He was brought in by ambulance in stable condition with a gun shot wound lodged underneath the scapula. That was about 45 minutes ago. So he should…"

"Forty-five minutes ago?" Brennan looked at Hodgins. When did we get the call?"

"He looked at his watch. It was about 25 minutes ago?"

"I don't understand. Surely between being taken care of at the scene and the time he arrived, someone should have contacted me."

"I'm sorry. I can't offer any answers for you about that. I do know that an FBI director was with him."

"What?" Brennan sounded weak again. Under any other circumstances, she would be embarrassed. Angela quickly took hold of one of her arms. "Angela, I'm fine," she insisted. "Dr. Whitcomb, please explain Agent Booth's injuries and allow me to see him and the director. I'm assuming it's Director Cullen."

"That name sounds familiar." Dr. Whitcomb had dealt with all kinds of people during his long career. Occasionally he would have a professional family member who would challenge him every step of the way. He assumed that this would be the case this time. "Why don't we sit down?"

"Is he going to be okay?" asked Hannah. They turned to her realizing that they had forgotten she was there.

"As I said, Agent Booth suffered a gun shot wound. The bullet was left lodged under the scapula." He pointed to the site of entry. "There didn't appear to be any significant damage, but we'll know more when the surgery is complete. The surgeon working with him is excellent. He will give you the details when Agent Booth is taken to recovery. It shouldn't be too much longer now."

"May I speak with Director Cullen please?"

"I believe he is in the surgical waiting room. I'll take you to him."

When they approached the waiting room, Brennan asked to speak with Cullen privately while the others found seats.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Angela suggested that they could use some coffee and Hodgins took the hint to leave for awhile. Angela sat down next to Hannah who had her face buried in the palms of her hands with her elbows resting on her knees.

"Hannah? Is there anything I can do? Anyone you want me to call?"

Hannah looked up and realized that she had been left alone with Angela with the exception of a couple of known people on the other side of the room. She figured now would be a good time to get some answers. "I heard you refer to another time that Seeley had been shot. Am I right to assume it was more serious than his injuries today?"

"Ah. You haven't gotten all the stories to go with all of the scars," said Angela in understanding.

"Seeley doesn't like to talk about his past."

"Oh," Angela said with more surprise than she should have. Not hearing all of the stories was one thing, but Booth didn't talk about his past at all? That couldn't be good. "That can't be too healthy keeping it bottled up like that."

"He seems okay. He's mentioned that he sees Sweets so I never really was concerned enough to push him to talk."

"Booth has been seeing Sweets? When?"

"I don't really know. He just mentioned it casually and I work such crazy hours."

"Well if he is seeing Sweets alone, that's great. I'm just surprised."

"You're surprised? What was surprising by seeing him alone?" Hannah was genuinely confused. She wondered if she should have been going with him.

"Oh, it's nothing really. Booth and Brennan went to see Sweets for couples counseling for a few years. It's a long story." Angela really wanted to get off the topic. It had gone on long enough, already. "You probably want to know about the last time he was shot."

"Absolutely. Yes!"

"Well, it was about three years ago. After a case was finished, the team went to have fun at a karaoke bar and Sweets and Booth talked Brennan into singing. She was so cute and the girl can really sing! Anyway, one of the suspects became obsessed with Booth and saw Brennan as being in her way of happiness with him. She came in with a gun pointed at Brennan." Hannah's eyes were wide with fear even though it was obvious the story had a happy ending. The journalist in her had always loved drama. "Booth must have heard some commotion and thank God he did. Brennan may not have been as lucky as Booth was since she was the target. Booth didn't have time enough to pull his gun and fire back, but he did have time to stand up and block Brennan from the line of fire."

Hannah whispered, "He took a bullet for Temperance?"

"Yes, he did. But that's not the worst part of the story."

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Director Cullen took Brennan to a small office the FBI was being allowed to use. She found it occupied by agents Charlie and Perotta. Before she started her own interrogation, she asked if Rebecca had been informed. She had not and was excused to make a phone call to her. Brennan agreed to call her with any updates and when a good time would be to bring Parker to see his dad.

Brennan was taken by surprise when confronted with FBI business in the office. Cullen reassured her, though, that he would listen to her concerns about Booth and their notifications during emergencies. In the meantime, she was being asked to be temporarily reassigned to work with agents Charlie and Perotta. The reasoning was that she knew many of the prisoners being targeted and was familiar with possible suspects. If they had changed their appearance, Brennan would be able to identify them by their bone structure. Naturally, she had concerns about Booth and how it would affect him. She was going to be given access to the recovery room before his friends and family visited. She needed to attempt to get him on board with the new assignment which amused her. Normally, it would be the other way around. Secondly, she would be helping put Rebecca and Parker in protective custody.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

As soon as Brennan walked into the waiting room, Hannah clammed up. Angela thought her behavior was very odd considering it wasn't her normal personality and she and Brennan had been friendly with one another. By this time, Sweets and Cam were there to lend support to their friends.

"Dr. B., do you have any news on Booth?" asked Hodgins.

"He should be in recovery pretty soon. He is expected to make a full recovery within a few weeks. However, his involvement in our current case will be limited to desk duty."

"Oh, he is NOT going to be happy with that. I'm not looking forward to weeks of cranky Booth," sighed Cam.

Angela spoke for Hannah. "Hannah is scheduled to go out of the country on assignment next week. She's supposed to be gone for two weeks. I've assured her that we would help Booth with whatever he needs. We're family. And Jack and I certainly have enough room for him and Parker when he visits on the weekends."

"I need to talk to you about that." All eyes were on Brennan except for Hannah's. Sweets found it interesting and vowed to himself to keep a close eye on her. "For time being, Rebecca and Parker are going to be in protective custody."

"I assume Agent Booth doesn't know about this, yet," said Sweets. Brennan shook her head. "I'll be seeing him as soon as he is awake and then I have to start working on the case, Cam. Cullen said that he would be calling you."

"Wow, Sweetie. This sounds serious."

"It is. But I'm afraid I can't give any details right now. I do want to talk with Hodgins before I leave, though." His eyebrows shot up with curiosity.

"Would you like me to be there with you when you talk with Booth?" asked Sweets.

"He may want to talk to you later. I expect that he's going to get bored very quickly." Everyone laughed. "Hannah, can I talk with you separately?"

"Is it something the doctors can explain? I know you're very knowledgeable about a lot of things but still…"

"It's not medical." Hannah stiffened but followed her out of the waiting room and to the quiet office. The agents gave them some time alone."

"I'm very direct, so I'm going to get right to it. Is there some reason that you're ignoring me? If it's about the medical power of attorney, I can…"

Hannah interrupted. "I'm fine with that."

"I have things I need to talk to you about concerning Booth's recovery, but you're not making it very easy. I'm not good at reading people. Please tell me what I did wrong."

"Now is not a good time, Temperance. I will listen to you. I want to take care of Seeley."

"I insist you tell me what's wrong." When Hannah finally looked at her, her face was full of pain. Even Brennan could tell that much.

"Seeley told me about your feelings for him," she said softly.

"He told you that?" Brennan was stunned. She wasn't sure if she would respond appropriately. These were things she relied on Booth to help her with.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

**Author's Notes:** So what part are you looking forward to the most for an update?

**JET1967** (I think you're right about Hannah even though they were in Afghanistan together.), **Boneslover97, SouthunLady** (LOL… One of the reasons I decided to have Booth in the ER was for Hannah to discover that tidbit of info.), **cast14, chymom** (It's hard for me to read stories with suspenseful ending chapters, but I love writing them. **Tartantrace** (Thanks! It feels good to know when someone loves my story. It's very motivating.)


	6. The Beginning of a Boothy Recovery

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Spoilers:** Season 6 (Includes Promos and spoilers for future episodes)

**Author's Notes:** Here's a little fluff to sprinkle your heart with.

I left responses to your reviews at the end!

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 6: The Beginning of a Boothy Recovery**

Booth found waking from anesthesia far different from his coma. In his coma, he was dreaming as if he was asleep. Waking up from anesthesia, without the side effects, was an odd feeling. It felt like he was slipping from dark to light instantly without any conscious thoughts. There were just sounds and then his vision started taking in his surroundings.

"Bones?"

"Oh, thank God!

"You… don't….. believe in…. God."

"But you do, and I have faith in you. And I am so thankful you know who I am this time."

"Me too… Where… am I?

"Shhh. Don't talk. It's painful." She watched him look down at their joined hands, but didn't pull away. "You're in the recovery room at George Washington Hospital. Do you remember anything that happened before you were shot?" He nodded. "The bullet entered near your right armpit and was lodged under the scapula. You were in stable condition when arriving to the hospital. As you were being taken into surgery, you suffered a pneumothorax. The pressure from the trauma collapsed your right lung. You'll be here a few days, but the chest tube won't have to stay the whole time you're here." Booth looked down noticing it for the first time. He was glad for pain meds. "Are you in any pain?"

"No," he whispered.

"Booth, I can't stay so…"

"Stay." His puppy dog look appeared and stopped her immediate thought. She may not be able to read people in general, but she could read Booth. It made the last couple of months bearable. She knew why he was acting aloof so often. She knew why he would become intolerant of her quirks. She was secure in her friendship to know it was a cover and she was still important to him. He had remained in their partnership. This was exactly why she said "no" in the first place to his offer last April. She couldn't lose him even when he moved on. No one had ever understood her the way Booth did.

"Parker and Rebecca need me."

"What?" He caught his breath. "Why?"

"As a precaution, Cullen suggested that they be put in protective custody for awhile. Only Cullen, you, and I will know where they are. They will have an agent with them at all times."

"Where?"

"I arranged that." She couldn't help the smile that graced her face. She admittedly was very proud of herself.

"Really?"

She nodded with sudden shyness. "I didn't want Parker to know the truth of the situation. He's being told that Max won a vacation."

"Max?" His eyes widened.

"Shh and listen." He smiled at her. He had really missed her.

"He is going on a vacation, against his mother's better judgment of course, with his mom, Grandpa Max, Uncle Russ, Aunt Amy and the girls. And the agent will be undercover as Rebecca's boyfriend if she agrees to it."

"Grandpa Max?"

"Did you forget that Max refers to himself as Grandpa Max when he does science experiments with Parker?"

Booth smirked. He had forgotten. And it felt good to remember. It made him feel closer to his Bones. "Where?"

"They're spending a week at Disneyworld."

"How?"

"Don't worry about it," she answered before he could ask.

He massaged her knuckles with his thumb. He didn't think he deserved her but was so glad she remained his friend and partner.

"Before I go, we have business to discuss. And then all your Boothy fans can visit with you." He would have chuckled if he could. Instead, he just smiled. "You're going to require more recovery time than we originally anticipated, but you will be involved in the case." This didn't sound good already. "I've been assigned to the case."

"No."

"Shh."

"Stop… Shushing me."

Brennan rolled her eyes. "You know first hand how expertly I can identify people from their bone structure. The criminals have likely changed their outward appearances. I plan on helping Charlie and Perotta. It will be easier to support me than fight me on this." She had him cornered and he glared at her for a few moments. "Even with a chest tube, bullet wound, and doped up on meds, you can still be over-protective." She sighed loudly.

"Admit it… you love… me anyway."

The meds were affecting him more than she thought. She was now wondering how much of this conversation he would remember when she returned this evening. "Over-protective and smug. You don't deserve me."

"I know."

"Booth, I have to go."

"Don't go."

"May I come back later? There are some things I want to talk with you about, but only if you're rested and up to it."

"Please… come back… but don't… feel… obligated."

"I know I'm not obligated. I want to come back after Hannah leaves. If she leaves. Booth? What happened to _"What's ours is ours_?"

He closed his eyes for a moment._ Hannah told her._ "You… and Hannah… are alike… in a lot… of ways." She quirked a brow. "You're… very… persistent."

"Are you saying she's good at reading you and she dragged it out of you?"

"Yes." He squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry."

"Rest. Don't let people stay too long. You need to rest so that you can heal."

"Only if… you promise… to come back... I miss… you… already."

Brennan rolled her eyes. "That is irrational."

"I don't care… if it is."

His monitor started beeping bringing a nurse over to his bedside.

"Shh. You have to calm down, Booth."

"Stop… shushing me." She chuckled. He missed hearing that. "Forehead."

"Huh?"

"Mr. Booth…"

"Agent Booth," Brennan corrected her.

The middle-aged nurse smiled warmly. "Ah! I'm taking care of a hero?" He charmed her with his incredible smile. "Agent Booth, you need to behave. Don't let me hear these monitors go off again for at least another half an hour," she said in mock sternness.

Once she was gone again, she bent over to hug him gently. The hand not clutching hers held her in place and he kissed her forehead before letting her go. "I promise… I'll rest."

"Bye, Booth. I'll tell Parker you miss him and you want him to have a fun vacation."

"Thanks Bones."

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

**Author's Notes: Don't worry. I'll be going back to Brennan's conversation with Hannah. And I haven't forgotten about Angela and Hodgins. **

**Pirate Til The End **(She's gone! Yay! But not very many people know that, yet.) **Aching Bones** (It won't be long until we know his secret.) **Animagus-Steph** (LOL… She does look and act like Sweets' age. I heard a rumor that in real life she's the same age as Brennan/Emily.) **Tartantrace** (I couldn't agree more!) **ScotFree** (The "What's ours is ours" talk will be coming soon… I know everyone is anticipating it so I hope that chapter is a good one!) **chymom** (Thanks! I really love writing these characters. They are so unique and fun.) **Boneslover97 **(Kicking ass and taking names… Did he really want to be on that list? LOL) **SouthunLady** (Hannah Banana is very shallow. I could tell that from her first episode. She has been with Booth way too long!) **cast14 **(What did you think of her reaction so far?)


	7. Champions in the Shadows

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Spoilers:** Season 6 (Includes Promos and spoilers for future episodes)

**Author's Notes:** Sorry for the wait. A migraine stole most of the past 2 days of my life.

I left responses to your reviews at the end! I got a little chatty this time. LOL

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 7: Champions in the Shadows**

For the second time in his school career, Parker's elementary school had been put into lockdown on the account of being Agent Seeley Booth's son. Principal Dr. Elaina Wilson was fond of Parker and secretly had a crush on the young boy's father even as she was approaching retirement. He reminded her of her late husband, Chad.

Elaina's secretary popped her head into the office. "Elaina, Agent Booth's partner is here in the office for Parker. Would you like to speak with her?"

"Oh yes! Please send her in. I wonder if I have her latest book here," she said as she began searching through her book bag.

Julie laughed at her. "It's in the pink one. I'll bring her in."

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Booth was barely conscious as his friends shuffled in and out to see him as he slowly recovered from the anesthesia in the early morning hours. Just the little time he had spent with his Bones had put him back into a deep sleep for what was probably a shorter amount of time than it seemed. He remembered seeing Hannah, Jared, and the squints. Now Cullen was standing beside his bed.

"How long have I been here? How's Bones doing on her mission? Are Parker and Rebecca safe?"

Cullen chuckled. In his moments of lucidity, he was the same old Booth he had grown fond of over the years. He and his partner brought humanity to their cases that is often forgotten in their line of work. He and his wife would always be grateful for how they identified and captured their daughter's murderer.

"Dr. Brennan left about 30 minutes ago."

"It seems like longer than that."

"You're high on pain meds, Booth. But yes, you haven't seen her in a few hours. She's been working with Charlie on a few things." He chuckled again. "Besides, she wore me down until I allowed her to talk with the squint that was buried with her by the gravedigger. That's one tough gal you have there."

"She's not mine." He sighed and closed his eyes again for a moment of privacy. "Is she on her way to get Parker? Does she have an agent with her?"

"Edison Elementary is in Lockdown. We have undercover agents on the premises. Everything has been squared away with Rebecca, your families and the travel arrangements. Dr. Brennan insisted that she be alone to get Parker." Cullen ignored his growl. "She was very convincing about how to make things look as normal as possible to him so he wouldn't panic. She really loves that boy of yours, Booth."

"Yeah, I know," he said softly. "She thinks she's unlovable, at least in the long term."

"That's insane. Why would she think that?" His director was truly annoyed. "I think, when this is over, I'll have to have a talk with that woman of yours."

"Good luck. But she's not mine."

"You're the one that ran off and hooked up with the blonde Barbie, son. I have no remorse for you."

Booth glared at his boss. "You don't know the whole story."

"I'm sure that I don't even know the half of it. But what I do know is that you made a choice and you're working harder at staying away from that lovely partner of yours than you ever did at convincing her she should be yours."

Booth's jaw dropped and he could only gape at the man. _How much did the man notice and when did he have time? And what about the damn rules?_

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"Dr. Brennan, thank you for stopping by to see me before you get Parker. I assure you the agents you have here are working very well with our staff and student body. Our students hardly notice there's been a change in our daily routine. Of course, they haven't had lunch and recess yet." That made the elderly woman chuckle and she couldn't help but laugh, too. She herself dreaded recess most of the time. But she knew it was Parker's favorite time of day. "I'm surprised that Agent Booth isn't with you, today. I hope all is well."

"As you are aware, there's a lot of confidential information surrounding a case that would require a lockdown. I haven't yet decided if I will need to let Parker know about his dad's injuries before we leave town."

"He's injured. Oh my! I hope he heals soon. Please wish him well for me." Brennan nodded. "So, Parker will be leaving town."

"Yes, he will be on a vacation. Normally, his parents and I wouldn't suggest such a thing while school is in session. I'm sure you would agree it's not the optimal time."

"Of course, dear. You only have Parker's safety to consider right now. Would you like some of his school work to take along with you?"

"I would, thank you. He'll have excellent help with his school work while away."

"I would expect nothing less from you, Dr. Brennan. You've been a wonderful influence in that young boy's life. I hope you'll consider joining us again for this spring's science fair. The teachers just loved your input last year. Our biggest job is to teach our children to love learning. We don't pretend to have all of the answers. Having famous intelligent individuals such as you is such a gift to our staff and student body."

"I admire your philosophy of learning, Dr. Wilson. You have a wonderful working mission statement and would enjoy helping you in anyway I can with your science department."

"I can't thank you enough, Dr, Brennan. Please forgive me for just a moment more of your time. I have a copy of your latest book with me. Would you mind signing it?" Brennan graciously took the copy of her book and wrote a short quote of inspiration for the principal. It always amazed her to see the diverse population of people who read her books.

"Let's go find that handsome young man, shall we?" asked Elaina Wilson.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"Agent Booth, you have a visitor here to see you." Booth had had a busy morning and was finding it hard to stay awake. The squints and his brother had all gone home late last night with promises to see him after the work day was over. Hannah was the only one still with him. He raggled his brain trying to figure out who would still be coming to see him. He hadn't expected Bones until later in the evening. _If she was early, would she turn away and leave once seeing Hannah was still here?_

The door to his room opened once more to reveal Max Keenan. "Max?" Booth hadn't seen Max since before he had left for Afghanistan. He felt slightly panicked. He wasn't sure how much Max knew about Hannah. It bothered him that he was panicked. He had every right to move on.

"Booth," he acknowledged in greeting.

"Thank you… for taking care… of everything." Booth hated being cryptic. He looked over at Hannah and begged for understanding with his eyes. "Would you mind… giving us some time alone… to talk business?"

Hannah looked confused, but she got up slowly to give him a kiss good-bye. Booth pulled away the best he could without pulling on the chest tube. He felt guilty seeing the hurt in her eyes. "I'll come back in a little while."

"So, that was Hannah?" Booth nodded. "Didn't want to introduce us? Interesting."

"One Sweets is enough."

Max laughed boisterously. "That is certainly the truth. So, this business you wanted to talk about… you ready to deal with me?"

**Author's Notes: I will get back to B&B and some flashbacks in the next chapter OR the one after that… sometimes I just have to run with the muse!**

**Does anyone know the names of Russ and Amy's girls? Hayley and ?**

**Review Responses**

**Twenty1down** (HeHe. You caught that. I debated it. She knows he's high. Remember when Booth was drunk and they met on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial? I think it may have been the soccer mom episode. He was practically falling all over her and she just laughed it off. Anyway, I have her continuing to evolve from the last episode in December. I have a storyline coming up that will prove that she has an open heart. It won't have to do with Booth, but it will profoundly effect her relationship with him. Stay tuned!) **chymom** (I know what you mean. I gasped when I found there were more spoilers today. I don't want to be swayed from a couple of SLs I have still have planned for this fic.) **Boneslover97 **(I was wondering if I would change anyone's mind about being mad at Booth. LOL Glad you like the vacation idea… it just popped into my mind like a dream. I like it when that happens!) **ScotFree** (Love your toddler's paddling pool saying!), **JET1967** (The recovery period could be interesting, too! *u*) **SouthunLady & cast14** (Bones is the best… should be an agent! I think that her big heart goes unnoticed by so many people because of her direct forwardness. But she's always been about helping other people… so unlike Hannah Banana… IMO) **bones35 **(Aww! Thanks! Dialogue is my favorite part of stories and getting praise like that makes me smile big time!) **Aching Bones** (Yes! Booth is going to be recovering in more ways than one!)


	8. Forever the Protector

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Spoilers:** Season 6 (Includes Promos and spoilers for future episodes)

**Author's Notes:** For those of you who are once again frustrated with the show after episode 10, I hope I can entertain you with this chapter. I'm losing hope in the show, but I'll try hard not to lose my muse, again. Most of this chapter was written before seeing the episode. I hate to say this, but now more than ever, I need reviews to keep me motivated.

Oh… and about Hannah leaving. It's coming soon. Hang in there! Unlike HH, I don't believe two women can be friends when they love the same man. I agree with Sweets, it's odd that Booth isn't bothered by them being friends.

I left responses to your reviews at the end!

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 8: Forever the Protector**

"_So, that was Hannah?" Booth nodded. "Didn't want to introduce us? Interesting."_

"_One Sweets is enough."_

_Max laughed boisterously. "That is certainly the truth. So, this business you wanted to talk about… you ready to deal with me?"_

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Max got right down to business. "How dangerous is this assignment that got you shot?"

"I didn't want… Bones involved."

"That's not what I asked, son."

"I trust the agents… working with her… I don't like it… either… It's dangerous."

"I expect you to do everything you can to protect my girl."

"Of course… and thank you… for protecting my son."

"He's special to Tempe so he's special to me. I love that little boy of yours. You don't need to worry about his safety. You know me."

"Yes… Bones chose the best." And he meant it. "Did Bones pay for the trip?"

"Don't make a big deal of it Booth. Let her show how much she cares. Don't take that away from her. She'd do anything for you. You know that. Let her. Bury the macho stuff."

"You're here for… more than one thing." Max's eyes told the truth of his statement. "Why now? We've been home… for weeks."

"I have a captive audience. There's no where to run, no where to hide. And in you're condition, I won't be tempted to hurt you." Max grinned and Booth gulped.

"So… what have you heard?"

"That Hannah's the one who'll make you happy. She's your type."

"My type?" asked Booth with confusion written all over his face.

"Young, blonde, beautiful, the marry & settle down kind, the I'll change for you kind." Max listed what he'd heard from his daughter.

"Hannah may be all those things" he winced from the pain. "But I don't have… a type… I don't know where… she got that idea."

"Whether it's accurate or not, it's what Tempe thinks. She's comparing herself to your girlfriend. She says she can't change, she's not enough for you, and she would only hurt you."

The words Max spoke sounded familiar. He was certain that's some of what Bones had said all those months ago at the Hoover. He didn't want her to change. Why did she get to decide who was right for him? Why hadn't he looked past the pain of rejection to what she was really meaning? A little over a week ago, she admitted she had made a mistake. But now it was too late. All of a sudden, he was feeling anger he didn't know he'd been keeping buried. How could she do this to him? To them? And he was angry at Max for damaging her and affecting all the future relationships she would have.

"Max, when I asked for a chance… at something more… I couldn't make her love me." He put out a hand telling him to wait. He wasn't done speaking his mind, but he was having a hard time catching his breath especially without pain. "I can't make her… want to be with me… in a committed… long-term relationship… You're the reason… she can't commit."

"That's bull shit, Booth. She is committed to you." Booth scoffed. "She's been your partner for years. And there's been a lot the two of you have had to face. And she still wants to be your partner. She still wants to be your friend. I don't see her running. She would do anything for you. Open your eyes. She is committed."

Booth shook his head. He didn't want to hear it. "It's too late."

"I didn't see a ring on that girl's finger."

He got a sinking feeling in his stomach. Shortly after he'd introduced Hannah to Parker, he started having dreams of proposing to Hannah. But ever since Bones admitted she made a mistake and she didn't want to have any regrets, the dreams changed. Every damn night he would wake up right after he proposed. He never got to the part where she answered him. It bothered him greatly. And it confused him. "I don't know… what you want from me, Max… I chose Hannah… She followed me… I owe her… I have to try… and make it work… She deserves that from me."

"Tempe told me shortly after you solved the first case back here that you came back for Parker and that you couldn't ask her to come with you. You couldn't expect her to drop her life for you. But she came. She chose you. When did you choose her? When did you choose her, Booth? Because I would bet my life that you came back for Tempe. Maybe you wanted to flaunt the girl, show her that there was someone who wanted you. You built up your ego over there in Afghanistan. It must have been hell there. She was comforting. I get that, Booth. But when did you choose her over Tempe?"

Booth didn't get a chance to respond and he was grateful. He heard excitement in the hall. He smiled when he realized that Parker was there.

"One more thing before they come in… You can't have two best friends. You can't have your cake and eat it, too. A person who tries to please everyone pleases no one."

Brennan opened the door to let Parker and Rebecca walk into the room. "Dad!" yelled Parker excitedly.

"Careful Parker. Be gentle," called Rebecca.

"Hey, Bubs! I missed you." Parker climbed up on his bed and hugged his dad's stomach. Booth clenched his teeth but didn't complain.

"Are you going to be alright?"

"I'll be as good as new in a few days."

"Okay." Parker looked skeptical and still a bit worried. "Did you hear about our vacation with Grandpa Max?"

Hannah walked in the room and heard Parker's question. Booth wasn't sure if she was surprised by all the people in the room or by Parker's question. "I heard! You're one lucky kid! I want you to have fun, but remember to be good and follow directions. When you get back, maybe we can do something special together since Bones and I have to work." Booth looked over at Rebecca for approval and she nodded as expected. "Give your old man a kiss. Call me everyday, you hear? I want to know about all the cool stuff you're getting to do." He ruffled the boys sandy blonde curls.

"Okay, Dad. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too, Parks."

As they were exiting, Booth called for Brennan. "Bones?" Brennan turned around to look at Booth. "Thanks." Bones simply smiled and nodded.

"Seeley, who was that man?"

"Oh God… I'm sorry… I wasn't thinking… That was Bones's dad."

"Temperance's dad is Grandpa Max?"

"Is there something wrong?"

"Seeley, we need to talk."

**Review Responses**

**Twenty1down & cast14** (I hope you enjoyed Max in this chapter.) **LondonLi & JET1967 **(Thanks! I love that line, too. The truth of it has been haunting me all season.) **Tartantrace & OopsAmObsessed** (I'm glad you liked Cullen. I wasn't sure if he should have a say, but he does have a fondness for the pair. I'm hopeful that when B&B do get together on the show that he will be supportive.) **SouthunLady & Aching Bones** (Not much longer now. Hang in there. Who do you think will end it: Booth or Hannah?) **KlingonGal8489 & if a wish of wonder** (Thanks for letting me know about the girls!) **CSULBrocks** (Thanks for the praise and encouragement!)


	9. Time and Space

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Spoilers:** Season 6 (Includes Promos and spoilers for future episodes)

**Author's Notes:** You'll see Hannah make an exit here, but she will be back _**temporarily**_. After reading this chapter, you'll probably figure out why. Who do you think will end the relationship when she reappears? Booth? Hannah? Is it mutual? It may surprise you.

The consequences of the triangle will remain as everything gradually works out for our beloved couple… hence the name of the fic will continue to apply to the story even when Hannah is gone for good. Don't get too weary. The fluff grows as the relationship is renewed. I love fluff. And the end (of this chapter) is just the beginning.

I left responses to your reviews at the end! _(Look carefully for your name, it may be in more than one place. If your name isn't there, it came late and I'll catch you with the next chapter.)_

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 9: Time and Space**

"_Temperance's dad is Grandpa Max?"_

"_Is there something wrong?"_

"_Seeley, we need to talk."_

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Booth didn't have a good feeling about the talk they were about to have. And he was exhausted. He hoped he could manage to get through it without too many consequences.

"I'm tired, Hannah. And in pain. Can we talk later?"

"No Seeley. All you have to do is listen right now." Now Booth knew he was in trouble. A one-sided conversation with Hannah was never good. "Temperance and I talked last night while you were in surgery."

"I know. You shouldn't have told her."

"She was very persistent in knowing why I was ignoring her. Neither one of us knew what you did and didn't tell me. I inadvertently found out more than I bargained for."

Booth was suddenly feeling sick to his stomach. He didn't think the stress could be helping his condition any and was surprised there weren't any monitors beeping. "What do you mean?" He knew he looked guilty. He could read it in her reaction.

"You told me she admitted to having feelings for you beyond friendship. You didn't tell me about her regrets of turning you down. She clammed up when it was obvious I didn't know what she meant. She is very loyal to you. But I insist on hearing from you and I'm not letting it rest."

He was cold and clammy and wishing a nurse would come in and interrupt them. There always seemed to be one when he didn't want to be bothered so, of course, he was out of luck now. He sighed and ran his fingers through his dirty hair. He really needed a shower. It would probably make him feel at least a little better. Hannah raised a brow indicating she was waiting for him to start explaining himself. "Last April, I asked her to give us… a shot at more than friendship."

Hannah didn't know exactly what she was expecting, but this had to be the worst case scenario. Her boyfriend was the initiator of a relationship that didn't develop. She took a deep breath and nodded for him to continue.

"She let me kiss her at first… and then she pushed me away."

"Why?" asked Hannah.

"She said she couldn't change… that she didn't have an open heart."

"Did you fight for her?"

"I thought I did." Now, Booth wasn't so sure he had done enough.

"And then you ran to different parts of the globe and you found me. Ready and more than willing. Why didn't you tell me I was the rebound girl? I had a right to know, Seeley. I feel like a fool."

"No, Hannah. Please. You're not a fool. I love you."

"Are you sure? Or was I just easy when you're heart needed mending?"

"We've been together for nine months." He was annoyed. "How can you say that?"

"I would think it would be pretty obvious. Look, maybe we just need time to make sure of what we're doing with each other is right," explained Hannah.

"Look, I admit that.." He paused unsure of what he was really trying to say and knowing he was probably getting himself into trouble. "I wasn't sure about us when you first came. But our time together, away from war, we have stuck together… made it work."

"Is that all you want, Seeley? Good enough? You're okay with settling for good enough? You never struck me for the kind of person who didn't go for what he wanted with 100% effort. Tell me, Seeley. When Temperance turned you down, was it really a surprise given her history? How long did you fight for her? How long until you had to move on? Did you give her enough time?"

"Why are you asking me these things if… if you think you know the answers… if you think you could be hurt?"

"It's too late for people not to get hurt. So are you ready to face the truth?"

Booth didn't want to answer her questions. He felt safe with Hannah. She was right when she said she was easy. "I think this has all been a shock for you. I think we just need… some time."

"I think you're right. And maybe this wasn't the best time for this. But sometimes, we can't avoid fate's timing." Booth smirked without realizing it. "What's the smirk for?"

"Uh. I was just thinking… how Bones doesn't believe in fate."

Hannah was wondering why it had never bothered her before now about how often he spoke of his partner. How did she not see how unnatural it was? "I think we need more than time."

"What do you mean?"

"I think we need time and space. You're going to be here for probably another 3 or 4 days. I leave for Afghanistan on Tuesday. I was thinking of canceling my trip, but maybe it's for the best if I go. When I get back, we can talk again with clear minds."

"What about until you leave?"

"I'm going to move back into a hotel for now. I need space. I'll call and see how you're feeling. I'm really sorry, Seeley. I feel like I'm being weak and I hate myself for it." There were tears in her eyes and she tried to hide them.

"Come here," he said. She did and he held her to him for several minutes before she walked out of his life for an uncertain amount of time. It scared him immensely, but surprisingly, his heart didn't ache like it did when Bones rejected him.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Booth was asleep when Brennan returned to the hospital in the early evening. She found Angela and Hodgins in the waiting room.

"Sweetie, you look exhausted, but I'm glad you're here."

"I'm glad you're here, too, Dr. B. Booth has been sleeping ever since we got here. I've been trying to get Ange to come home with me. She and the baby need to rest, but she insisted we stay so he didn't wake alone."

Brennan agreed. "Ange, you should get some rest. The stress and extra hours on your feet are not good for you and the baby."

"I'm fine, you two. I'm only 4 months along."

"Stop arguing," demanded Hodgins lovingly.

"I'll probably stay awhile. Is Hannah not here?"

Angela and Hodgins looked at each other as if the other may have the answer. "We don't know where she is Dr. B."

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

When Booth woke up, it was dark in his hospital room except for a sliver of light shining through the gap under the door. He felt her before he saw her. From the smell of her shampoo and the touch of her hands, he knew it was Bones. He shifted slightly to look at her. She was holding his good arm so he delicately moved his right arm on the injured side and brushed her hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him.

"Hi," he said to her. "You came back."

"I said I would. I was expecting Hannah to be here. Angela and Hodgins didn't see her all evening."

"We're taking a break."

"I don't know what that means."

"Time and space. We need time apart… to make sure we know what we're doing together… to know if it's real and what we want."

"But you're happy together."

"That doesn't mean we're right for each other. It doesn't mean it's fate."

"I don't believe in fate."

"I know."

"You said everything happens eventually. She's what you needed… in Afghanistan and here. She will give you what you want, marriage and a family. She's like you… a perfect fit."

"Maybe that's what it looks like."

"I feel like I hurt you all over again. You wouldn't be questioning this if I hadn't broken down that night. That's why I can't trust emotions. They will always fail me."

"Bones…"

"No, Booth. You found who you needed."

"Did I?"

"Yes. You love her. She isn't a consolation prize."

"I grew to love her. That much is true."

"And you're happy, Booth. I want you to be happy. I wish I had never hurt you, but it turned out for the best. Please forget what I said last week. Please."

"Will you stay?"

"If that's what you want. I'll stay."

He scooted over on the bed. "Here. I made room."

"Booth?"

"Just talk to me."

Against her better judgment, she gently arranged herself next to him on her side. "About what?"

"Anything but the case." He guided her arm to rest on his chest. She was silent for too long. "What's wrong?" asked Booth.

"I don't know what to talk about. We don't talk anymore."

"Well, it's time we fix that, Bones. It's time."

**Review Responses**

**Geraghtyvl & Aching Bones** (I remember when I didn't care for Max (S2), now I like him. I think he would be a great one to set Booth straight.) **Geraghtyvl** (I hope you're right about Hannah. She seems so smug to me and like she pities Brennan.) **KlingonGal8489, healingcat, &** **laurafairlie** (Thanks! That's what I needed to know… are there people wanting/needing this as a means to get by rough episodes… and S6 in general.) **Boneslover97**, **CSULBrocks, HouseBonesLove, & Klingon8489** (Yeah… It's Grandpa Max… time to get jealous… long overdue jealousy.) **blueskyecloud9** & **ScotFree** (Yeah, she's seeing that in my story, definitely. Unfortunately, she's not seeing she's not part of the family on the show because it crumbled… IMO anyway.) **Tartantrace **(LOL Sorry about that. I was thinking more along the lines of catching his breath for a little while. But I'm not a nurse or a doctor. Hopefully, I wasn't so obvious with it this chapter.) **Boneslover97 & bones35** (I'm so ready to be rid of her!) **JET1967** (I am quite shocked that Angela hasn't confronted Booth especially with the pregnancy hormones. I'm even more shocked that she has given up and told Brennan to move on. It just seems so OOC to me. But maybe the baby has made her more mature? Anyway, she will have a say in things in this story pretty soon. Thanks for the compliment on the line. It's been weighing on me since Hannah's first episode and how shocked Booth looked when he discovered she was staying in D.C. for good.)

**~Episode Ratings and Reviews are in my profile near the bottom.~**


	10. Talk to Me

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Spoilers:** Season 6 (Includes Promos and spoilers for future episodes)

**Author's Notes:** This chapter is written in a different style. It gives bits and pieces of a variety of topics discussed between Booth and Bones. When you see **~Booth&Bones~**, time has passed.

I left responses to your reviews at the end! _If I missed it, it posted late and I will acknowledge it in the next chapter._

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 10: Talk to Me**

"_Just talk to me."_

_Against her better judgment, she gently arranged herself next to him on her side. "About what?"_

"_Anything but the case." He guided her arm to rest on his chest. She was silent for too long. "What's wrong?" asked Booth._

"_I don't know what to talk about. We don't talk anymore."_

"_Well, it's time we fix that, Bones. It's time."_

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"What would you like to hear?"

"Are you writing another book?"

"You know that I don't share the contents of my books before they're published."

"Yes, but now I'm injured. And you feel sorry for me. You kind of have to."

"Booth!" She propped up on her elbow to look at his face. Just as she suspected, he wore a charming smile. She glared back at him.

"Oh come on, Bones." He gave her his puppy dog smile, again.

"It's not working this time."

"Damn!"

**~Booth&Bones~**

"I've never thought about it, Booth. Why would I have a favorite case?"

"You have to, Bones. It's like having a favorite color or flower. Or a favorite bone."

Brennan chuckled. "A favorite bone? You think I have a favorite bone?"

"Are you telling me you don't?" Booth was skeptical.

"If I do, it's been an unconscious thought. I'll have to get back to you on that one."

**~Booth&Bones~**

"Well, you asked me what cases I liked! I liked that case."

"But Bones, the cake eating couple burst into flames. You needed to find a wooden nose," he said incredulously.

She laughed at him. "But that's when I met your Pops. He's very kind. I loved his grilled cheese. Wasn't it rewarding to watch him dance and have a good time?" He began to chuckle and wish he hadn't. "Booth? Are you okay? Do you need pain meds?"

"No. I'm fine. I just will refrain from laughing. So don't be so funny."

"You don't usually find me amusing."

"What would make you think that?"

"Never mind. Are you sure about the meds?"

"I'm sure. I don't want to fall asleep, yet. I like listening to you talk."

"Booth, I don't…"

He interrupted her. "Stop rationalizing it. I'm glad you like Pops, but the case was boring. Think of another one." She sighed dramatically.

**~Booth&Bones~**

"Yeah. I liked that case, too, Bones. Did the bridge get built, yet?"

"It has two more years. Do you ever wonder what happened to Andy?"

"I've wondered a few times. Have you?"

"A few times."

"Do you ever still think of having a baby?" He felt her stiffen. "Sorry Bones. I didn't mean to get too personal. I was way out of line."

"It's okay, Booth. I don't think it's a matter of what I want. But I will love Angela's baby. She's already calling me an aunt even though it isn't rational. I went with her to her doctor's appointment, yesterday."

"Yeah?" He wished it wasn't so dark. He imagined a sparkle in her eyes as she talked about Angela and her baby. He still felt badly for pretending to be busy the night Angela and Hodgins made their announcement.

"Ange is going to be having a test called an amniocentesis. It detects for a few abnormalities."

"What? Why?"

"It's nothing to worry about Booth. She'll be 35 when she delivers. It's a standard test at her age. Statistically, there isn't a worry. It's not like they have a poor genetic pool."

"How are Angela and Hodgins feeling about it?"

"You know I'm bad at reading people, Booth."

"You do just fine with your friends. You read me like a book."

**~Booth&Bones~**

"Are you asleep, Booth?"

"No," he whispered. "Not yet. But close."

"Do you want me to talk about something else or let you sleep?"

"I'd love to fall asleep while listening to your voice, but you're probably tired, too."

**~Booth&Bones~**

"Okay! Now I'm awake. I can't believe you just said that."

Brennan laughed at him. "Despite how open and casual you have become about sex with Hannah, you still can't tolerate me even hinting at it. I don't understand you, Booth."

Booth mumbled something incoherently.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing."

"Booth, you said something. Now tell me."

"No."

"If Hannah can pull secrets out of you, than so can I."

Booth groaned. "Bones…" he whined. "Think about it."

**~Booth&Bones~**

"I've been doing my best. You've hindered my compartmentalizing abilities, Booth."

"What? How did I do that?"

"By making me give up parts of myself. Do you remember suggesting that to me?"

"Mmm hmm."

"I first noticed it when I thought you died."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And I don't like it. I really am sorry for crying in front of you last week. For saying things I had no right to say."

"Bones…"

"I'm sorry for all the times I ran."

"Bones, I'm just as guilty as you are."

"How?"

"I let you run. No wonder you didn't trust me."

"I trust you implicitly."

"No, Bones. You trust me conditionally. You trust me with your life but not with your heart. And it's not your fault. You've been scarred emotionally… probably as much as I have physically," whispered Booth.

**~Booth&Bones~**

"I miss Parker," admitted Brennan.

"You just saw him today."

"Technically, yesterday." Booth smiled. "It was different. It certainly wasn't under ideal circumstances."

"I suppose not. When this case is over and Parker is back home, I'd like for you to come with us on our special outing that I promised him."

"It's not my place. I'm not a part of your family anymore."

"That's what you think?"

"Yeah. That's why I've become friends with Hannah. I thought maybe I could still be part of your family, but it hasn't worked."

"What? I don't…"

"Booth, think about it. We don't spend time together other than work. And then we only talk about work. I spend more time with Hannah than I do you." Her voice caught as she kept herself from crying.

"_What did I do?" thought Booth. "I've hurt her even more without even realizing it? God, I don't deserve her friendship."_

**~Booth&Bones~**

"God, Bones, I was terrified."

"I knew you would be. I was concerned when Hodgins and I were trapped."

"You were facing death… and you were concerned about me?"

"Yes. You wear your heart on your coat."

"Sleeve, Bones. Wear your heart on your sleeve."

"Right. And so I wrote a letter to you in case I didn't make it."

Booth tucked her hair back behind her ear in an attempt to see her face. "I never knew that. Do you still have it?"

"Yes."

"Will I be able to see it one day?"

"Now that Heather Taffet is out of our lives for good, I'll consider it. But I can't make a promise."

"Did anyone ever rat me out?"

"I don't know what that means."

"Did anyone ever tell you how rude and demanding I was with the squints when we thought you had run out of air?"

"No. How bad did it get?"

"Pretty bad. I'm embarrassed just thinking about it."

**~Booth&Bones~**

"Do you still have nightmares?"

"Not very often, anymore. Do you?"

"Not very often."

All was silent for a few minutes. "Are you awake?" asked Booth.

"Yeah. But I'm getting sleepy."

"Me too. Thanks for staying, Bones."

"Thank you for asking."

"Always."

"You can't promise that."

"I just did. Don't argue."

"We're good at arguing. It's what we do best."

He chuckled softly. "Ouch."

"Don't laugh."

"Then go to sleep."

"Then stop talking," she countered.

"Okay," he whispered. He leaned over slightly, ignoring the pull on the tube, and kissed the top of her head. He ran his fingers through her hair making her even sleepier.

"Booth?" she whispered.

"I thought we weren't talking."

"Is it alright to love you as a friend?"

Tears instantly sprang to life in his eyes. "Yes," he said in a gruff voice. "If I'm allowed to love you as a friend."

"That's acceptable."

"Good. That makes me happy, Bones. Very happy."

"Don't stop," she said barely awake.

"Don't stop what?"

"Playing with my hair. It feels good."

"Sweet dreams, Bones." But she was already asleep.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

**Author's Notes: So how did I do with the conversation? Did I deliver on the fluff? Was it too much too soon? I'm not sure yet how they will react in the morning.**

**Review Responses**

**Diko** (Thanks! I hope you liked the conversation after the cliffhanger!) **Boneslover97** (B&B are definitely getting back to where they were. They still have some things to work out, but it's all working out.) **SouthunLady** (I feel the same way about season 6. I actually skipped all of episode 9 and only watched portions of episode 8, the Brennan episode. And Hannah is for the most part gone from this fanfic. She will make a short appearance later to tie up loose ends.) **Animagus-Steph** (The fluff will continue as they rebuild their relationship. How did you like the fluff in this chapter? Thanks for the encouragement to keep writing. It means a lot!) **Cast14 & ObsessedWithBones3000** (Thanks! This story has me excited and I just had to keep writing.)

PS… I haven't forgotten about my other stories… I promise to get back to them.


	11. Gratitude

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Spoilers:** Season 6 (Includes promos and spoilers for future episodes)

**Author's Notes:** Sorry for the extra wait. I got stuck on this chapter. Hopefully this measures up after the success with the last chapter *u*

I left responses to your reviews at the end! _If I missed your review, it posted late and I will acknowledge it in the next chapter. Look carefully… Some names may appear more than once. You had a lot to say… so I couldn't help but respond in the same manner. I tend to be chatty._

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 11: Gratitude**

A nurse came in twice during the night to take Booth's vitals, listen to his lungs, and check his surgical site and chest tube for signs of infection. The first time, Brennan got up to give the nurse room to work and was thankful she wasn't asked to leave. She remained on the fold out recliner until daylight. Dr. Whitcomb came in early before visiting hours began. He was happy with the progress Booth had made and promised to be back the next day. By then more than 24 hours would have passed and a decision could be made on whether the chest tube could be removed.

"I'd forgotten what a difficult patient you can be," stated Brennan.

"A shower and decent TV shouldn't be too much to ask for," mumbled Booth.

"Would it help if I washed your hair and helped you shave before I left?"

She was leaving soon. Booth was crushed even though he knew it was inevitable. "There's no way I'm letting you give me a shave."

"I don't understand your reluctance, Booth. I'm careful and precise with my hands everyday with remains. You can hardly be as careful with your left hand. Unless you want to wait one more day when you have more use of your right hand. I can understand that."

"I'll wait," he grumbled. "I guess I can use that weird hair stuff. It's better than nothing."

"I would have to agree that this leave-in hair soap isn't very desirable. Why don't you let me wash your hair? You'd feel somewhat better when visitors arrived."

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"I need to get going," announced Brennan.

"Be careful, Bones."

"I'll be fine, Booth. I can take care of myself. I'm just going to the lab to work on the Collins case. We still need cause of death and the lab results should be back. I won't be doing anything with the sniper case unless I hear from Charlie or Perotta."

"Call me to keep me updated. Please?"

"You're supposed to be resting."

"Do you really think I can rest without knowing what's going on?"

"You have a point. You didn't do very well when your back was injured."

"There you go! So call me."

"I'll think about it."

"Bones…."

"I'll be back, tomorrow, bright and early. I want to hear what your doctor says about your recovery."

"Tomorrow?"

"Well, that's what I was thinking."

"Why?"

"I have a date, tonight. I'm sure it will be past visiting hours when I get home. I don't want to disturb you or annoy the staff. They were kind enough to let me stay last night."

He didn't like it, but she had the right to move on, too. He even told her she could adjust just as he had. So why did it bother him so much?

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

_**Text messages throughout the day will appear in this format:**_

**Booth to Bones** (10:00 AM): Any new evidence or leads on either case?

**Booth to Hannah** (10:02 AM): Hope you were able to get a good night's sleep. Interesting story, today?

**Booth to Cam** (10:05): Free 4 lunch?

**Cam to Booth** (10:17): What's on the menu?

**Booth to Cam** (10:20): Just got poked again. Pretty soon I won't have any blood left. Menu: jello, pudding, & broth

**Brennan to Booth** (10:37): Sweets and I are on the way to question the girlfriend in the Collins case. Back later.

**Cam to Booth** (10:46): I can visit around noon. I'll eat on the way ;)

"Hey, big guy. You have more color, today. How's the breathing?" asked Cam when she walked through the door to Booth's hospital room.

"Not as labored. I'm hoping to be rid of this tube in the morning."

"I hope you're not rushing it and driving all the nurses and docs around here crazy."

"I may be in sad physical condition at the moment, Camille, but I haven't lost the Booth charm," and he flashed his winning smile.

She chose to ignore the use of her proper name this once to stay on his good side. She wanted information. "So, I understand Dr. Brennan was here all night. And you and Hannah are taking a break?"

"I'm surprised Bones would give that kind of personal information."

"In case you haven't noticed, Booth, Dr. Brennan has been more relaxed around the lab. That's a stark contrast to when she's away from the Jeffersonian where she's more reserved than I've seen her in years."

"I guess I haven't been in the lab much," Booth admitted without being able to make eye contact. "When did it start?"

"When she returned from the Maluku Islands. I was impressed with how she worked with Wendell during the first case back." After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Cam decided to plunge into the speech she had been saving for the right time. "Everyone is accepting of Hannah. We like seeing you happy, Seeley. But what's going on between you and Dr. Brennan? From what I can tell, everything is all professional. I have never seen the two of you work like that even when we were dating or you were dating other women." Booth hesitated in answering. "Seeley, this is me you're talking to. We have always been honest with each other. Brennan isn't the only one you're pushing away. I haven't heard any complaints, but I, for one, feel deserted. Please talk to me."

"I'm only beginning to notice the changes in myself," he answered as honestly as he could.

"Why is that?"

"What do you mean '_Why is that'_?"

"Why now? Why not last week or last month?" Cam noticed she was going to have to play hardball with him. "Could it be the shooting has knocked some sense into you? Or is it that you and Hannah are taking a break?"

Booth shook his head and massaged the nape of his neck. "After the case that rattled Bones, I followed her because she seemed even more unlike herself than she already had been. I had to save her from being hit by a car."

Cam's mouth fell open. "Why?"

"It wasn't intentional as far as I could tell. She was focused on thoughts that were disturbing her about the case. But the point is that she later broke down in my car."

"What do you mean she broke down?" Cam's voice was full of worry.

"She broke down in tears. Actually, she was sobbing."

"Dr. Brennan, world's leading anthropologist, was sobbing? What did you do to her?"

"I didn't _**do**_ anything. She said she didn't want to have any regrets."

"You've lost me."

"Last April, I asked Bones to give us a shot at something more than friendship."

"Oh my God!"

"And she said "_no._"

"That's not a surprise. What did she say?" About ten minutes later, Cam was still sitting next to Booth's bed feeling too much frustration to be sympathetic for the man she'd known for years. "Booth, I don't even know where to begin explaining what an idiot you've been."

"You think this is my fault?" he asked in deep frustration.

"I didn't say that. You both have made mistakes. I think you've been given a gift while lying in this hospital bed. You have once again been reminded of your mortality, you and Hannah are separated, and Brennan has started to open up. I can't think of a better opportunity to step back and really evaluate where your life is going."

"Yeah. I know you're right. You usually are."

"Usually?"

"Whatever you'd like to believe, Cam. But, thank you for the advice. Apparently, I needed it. Can I call you if I need anymore?"

"Anytime. You know I'll always be here for you. It's nice to be needed again."

That resonated with Booth. _Isn't that how I felt when leaving for Afghanistan?_ "Can you discreetly keep an eye on Bones? I'm nervous about her working on the sniper case without me to protect her."

"Of course, Big guy."

"Thanks, Cam."

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

**Booth to Brennan** (1:10 PM): Where did you go?

**Booth to Charlie** (1:12 PM): Any leads from Taffet's cell mate?

**Charlie to Booth** (2:20 PM): You're on medical leave. But, we're waiting to hear if we can make a deal to get Turner to talk about Taffet.

**Booth to Charlie** (2:24 PM): Thanks. Please keep me posted. And let me know when Dr. Brennan gets called in to help.

**Brennan to Booth** (3:05 PM): We have cause of death. We have some new leads from the girlfriend. Sweets is coming to see you about both cases.

**Hannah to Booth** (3:25 PM): Promising story in Detroit. My flight departs at 7:30. I'll call when I get there. I should be home tomorrow evening. How are you feeling? What is the news from your doctor? Miss you.

_She hasn't even made it out of the country yet and she has another out-of-town assignment. Her political stories are getting attention. What does that mean to our relationship?_

**Booth to Hannah** (3:30 PM): Chest tube may come out tomorrow morning. Feeling better. Not so winded. Miss you, too.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Booth woke to the sound of the door opening. He'd been in a light sleep long enough to have his damn proposal dream again… the version with no ending. It didn't go unnoticed that it happened just before his 12 year old shrink walked in. "Sweets, thanks for keeping me in the loop."

"Of course, I do value my life."

"Nice Sweets. Don't forget it. So what do you have for me?"

"A deal was made for Taffet's cell mate. We begin interrogating her in the morning."

"That's good," said Booth, clearly annoyed. He hated not being involved.

"I suggested a web cam so that you can participate."

"Thanks, Sweets."

"Caroline said "no."

"What?" He sounded too weak to his own ears and he growled which amused Sweets.

"She doesn't want to compromise the case by the fact that you're on medical leave."

"How the hell did she come to that conclusion?"

"Well, her personality has always suggested…"

"I didn't really want a shrinky answer. I'll ask her myself."

"Right. Okay. Collins' girlfriend… It led to more unanswered questions."

"Did she appear credible?"

"That's my opinion, yes."

After reviewing the interview with the witness, Booth agreed that he was probably right. "So, you are talking with the co-worker next?"

"That's my plan. I'm on my way to pick up Dr. Brennan once I leave here."

"Bones. How does she seem to you, today?"

"I was going to ask you about that. She's very tight lipped, today. Anything happen I should know about?"

Booth rolled his eyes. "Yeah. I was shot."

"Are you sure there isn't anything else you want to tell me?"

"Why would I do that? So you can try and tell me how I feel?"

"So this has to do with your feelings and not the circumstances?"

"Sweets…" he warned with his tone of voice and his glare.

"Fine. Fine. I'll let it go, but if you ever want to talk…"

"I won't."

"But I could use a little advice from a friend."

"_**You**_… want advice from me? Why does this sound like a set up?"

"I'm being serious. After all, you're the one who warned me when we returned a couple of months ago. And I was thinking, once you escape this place, maybe we could go for a drink."

"You're serious?"

"Okay, ya know, I'll just…"

"Geez, Sweets. I'm just giving you a hard time for trying to get me to talk about Bones."

_Interesting. No mention of Hannah. Where was she?_ Sweets smiled. _He'll always be all about Dr. Brennan._

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"Booth."

"This better be good, Cherie. I'm a busy woman."

"I want a better answer why there shouldn't be a live feed."

"The kid got to you. Just dandy. The answer is _"No"_, Cherie. End of story."

"It wouldn't be any different than Sweets advising my interrogations from the observation room."

"Of course, it's different. Video… your pretty face is visible."

"Fine. Audio, then. Set me up in the observation room with Sweets or one of the agents."

"I'll think about it."

"Good, I'll inform Charlie I'll be there."

"Humph. It's a good thing you're cute, Cherie."

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

**Booth to Brennan** (4:47 PM): I talked to Sweets. Don't let him get under your skin. Have a nice time, tonight. You deserve a break. I'm doing great. Don't worry about me.

**Brennan to Booth **(4:59 PM): I don't think I want to know the origin of that colloquialism. I'm glad you're feeling good. I suspect that you are if you were up to grilling Sweets. I'll see you in the AM.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Booth thought he was going to go stir-crazy. Lying around doing nothing wasn't his thing. Usually when he was immobile with his back out or his scarred feet aching, he had his cartoons and sports to focus on. He'd talked to Parker for a few minutes after dinner and had a visit from Charlie, but all had been way too quiet for the past hour. This much down time was too dangerous for his mind… and his heart. He was ready to ask the beautiful nurse on duty that night for some pain meds to put him out of his misery when he heard a knock on his door. The nurse read his mind! But instead of a nurse with medication, a whole different form of comfort came walking into his room.

"Bones!" The surprise and pure delight he felt warmed his heart.

"Hi Booth. I hope you don't mind the intrusion."

"You're never intruding, Bones. But I thought you had plans this evening."

"I ended the date early."

"Oh? That bad?" asked Booth. He hoped he didn't sound happy to learn about the failed date.

She scoffed before answering. "It turns out that he was expecting something in return for his help on the case."

"He what?"

"Don't get all alpha-male, Booth. I can take care of myself."

"I know you can, Bones. That doesn't mean I can't care about what happens to you. What did you do?"

"I told him that I don't have sex with men out of gratitude."

Booth paled.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

**Author's Notes:** The last chapter turned out to be a popular one! I am truly humbled by all the reviews, hits, favorites, and alerts. Thank you!

**Review Responses**

I discovered some new terms… _**fluffometer!**_ and _**Sweet Candy-Floss Fluff**_ LOL! Thanks **Animagus-Steph!**

**Boneslover97, sunny smiles, Animagus-Steph, ObsessedWithBones3000, KlingonGal8489, geraghtyvl, Aching Bones, bones35, healingcat** and _**to everyone**_ who loved this chapter saying it was cute, was emotional over it, and/or just adored all the fluff… thank you! My heart swelled at reading that my writing of these characters captured your heart-strings.

**Harper83, Barb, Aching Bones, SouthunLady, twenty1down,** and _**to everyone**_ who can't wait for Hannah to be gone for good. Do you have any predicitions for any other characters that will help Booth see the truth? Who do you think will finally end it: Booth, Hannah, or will it be mutual?

**Bones35** (Wow! You read the chapter twice. About the favorite bone… I got the idea from _**GreysIsTheCatsPajamas**_ in her story, _Silent Mistakes_, chapter 18: Burden of Proof. It's really fluffy. You should read it!)

**Tartantrace & Aching Bones** (I'm glad you like the part with Booth playing with Brennan's hair. I got the idea from The Night at the Bones Museum after they almost kissed. She pretended to straighten his tie and he reached to touch one of the curls in her hair.)

**ObsessedWithBones3000, bones35, Aching Bones, CSULBrooks, JET1967, healingcat, Boneslover97** (It was wonderful to hear you liked the conversation between B&B. I love writing dialogue with these two characters. They're so much fun. **Bones35** mentioned that she enjoyed the topics. There are so many B&B moments to choose from. These moments are seriously lacking this season. I think that's why I find this season so depressing. **JET1967** mentioned their special connection in the past. She is encouraged by the spoilers that the connection will begin to be re-established. I hope she is right!)

**SouthunLady & geraghtyvl** (I find that I'm depressed by the last episode as well. I allowed myself to be hopeful and was seriously let down. It was the first full episode I've watched since #7. I honestly dread the rest of the season. As long as I get the encouragement to keep writing, I will continue to provide better storylines and fluff to readers who are just as disappointed as I am with the show.)

**Chymom** (I like your suggestions for Caroline and Rebecca. I decided to allow Hannah to be a good character in this story since HH insisted at the beginning of the season that we would learn to love her. As far as the show goes, I'm not at that point, yet.)

**Animagus-Steph** - Agreed, Booth has a lot of making up to do. **SouthunLady** – which is why I have them being friends again, first. I agree with **chymom** though, both Booth and Brennan are at fault for their friendship faltering**. SouthunLady** – Yeah, talking on the bed together was probably a bit much, especially since Booth hasn't been touchy-feely this season.

**Cast14, harper83, bones35, Aching Bones, serie-bones, ObsessedWithBones3000, Barb, Animagus-Steph, chymom, and sunny smiles** (I hope I didn't make you suffer with the extra wait. That last chapter got me emotional as well and I sort of got stuck with over-analyzing the next chapter and I wondered how I could maintain the same amount of excitement for the story. I finally decided that some chapters are meant to keep the story line moving and some chapters are ultra-fluffy.)

Thank you to all the new reviewers! (**ABlape, sunny smiles, Slick1, and harper83**)

**Barb** (Sweets' Plan for the Truth has been eating at me… I love this story, but for some reason I'm having a hard time with the hockey game. The scenes after that I'm fine with. I need to find a solution… quickly!)


	12. I Need This, You Need This

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Spoilers:** Season 6 (Includes promos and spoilers for future episodes)

**Author's Notes:** _**Before you read this chapter**__,_ I want to explain that B&B still have a ways to go before they can trust each other without the fear of being abandoned. And Brennan will have to do this in order to believe that Booth didn't lie to her when he said she is the one. Just hold on for a little bit longer with the knowledge that B&B will be closer than ever in just a few more chapters. There will be plenty of fluff to grip your heartstrings along the way. Friends first as they each reevaluate their current paths in life. It won't be dragged out. And I'm not ending the story as soon as they're together. What's the fun in that?

Congrats and thank you **jrfanfrommo** for being the _**100**__**th**__** person to review**_ my story. I'm offering you the opportunity to select the next episode for me to rewrite a scene or extend the ending to make it better for B&B in my collection called _Now That's More Like it_. If you're unfamiliar with it, you can find it in my profile! *u*

I left responses to your reviews at the end!

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 12: I Need This, You Need This**

"_I know you can, Bones. That doesn't mean I can't care about what happens to you. What did you do?"_

"_I told him that I don't have sex with men out of gratitude."_

_Booth paled._

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"Booth? Do you need me to get a nurse?"

Brennan's words came back to haunt him. Hannah had told the story of how they met. He saw the hurt in Brennan's eyes. He betrayed her. She asked him not to be a hero and that's exactly what he did. "_And you showed your gratitude by having sex with him,"_ Brennan had said. He walked away that day knowing that he had lost her trust. He didn't blame her. To make matters worse, he flaunted a picture of Hannah in front of her to make her jealous. But he never thought Hannah would come. Brennan stayed in D.C instead of going back to the Maluku Islands. He thought maybe he still had a chance with Brennan. But since that day when the three of them had lunch together, he knew he needed to make it work with Hannah. She was his shield from the pain. She was how he would survive working with Brennan. He had to be able to save himself. And even though it wasn't the same, he had grown to love Hannah.

"No, I'm okay," he lied. "Just a wave of nausea, but it's passing."

Just then a text came in on Brennan's phone.

**Jake to Brennan** (8:15): Temperance, I feel like an ass. I've never felt this strong of an attraction and I was way out of line. Please… Give me a chance to correct the wrong? Jake

Brennan stared at the text until Booth couldn't take the silence anymore. He was damn curious. "Bones? Everything okay?"

She looked up at him as if she'd forgotten where she was. "A text from my date." He remembered the guy, but he hadn't really paid much attention to him. If he'd known he was asking Brennan out, he would have taken special notice. "Apologizing?"

"Yes."

"What do you think you'll do?"

"I don't know, yet. I need to think about it."

"Do you want me to have Charlie do a background check?"

"I don't think that's necessary, Booth. He's in law enforcement. Why would he risk his job to put me in danger?"

"Bones, we've seen a lot of crazy stuff over the years."

"I don't think this mistake warrants this drastic of a measure. After all, you've acted on the same impulse with Hannah." Booth paled again and Brennan realized why he did the same thing just a couple of minutes ago. "You know how I say things wrong, Booth. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for. I sacrificed my own principles in the war zone."

"As shocked as I was at first, I find it understandable due to your environment."

"Yeah, maybe." It was time to change the subject. "Taffet's cell mate is being interrogated tomorrow."

"How did you manage that?"

"A deal was made for her information."

"Are you comfortable with that?"

"No, but I feel like it's the lesser of two evils."

"I'm not convinced that's the rational way to go."

"I'm not sure I am either. This sniper is making himself judge and jury taking out convicted criminals. But Bones, he's a sniper. How does what I did make me any better? I need to make it right, somehow."

"Booth, you weren't making the decisions. You were supporting your country and fighting for freedom. You trusted your superiors to know they were making intelligent decisions and I'm sure they were. You are _not_ like this serial sniper. You never could be."

"I wish I could believe that."

She didn't like for him to beat himself up like that. He was a good man. The best she'd ever known. The most admirable.

"Charlie is hooking me up for the interrogation. Someone is supposed to be in the observation room and I'll be able to hear what's being said and offer what I think may be helpful."

"Who will be doing the interrogating and who will be in the observation room?"

"I probably won't know until everything is being set up before it starts."

"Would you like me to be there to make sure everything is in order for you?"

"You would do that for me?"

Brennan looked surprised by his question. "Of course. Why would you ask that?"

"I guess I feel like I don't deserve it. I haven't exactly the best friend lately. And yet, you still accept me, moods and all. I guess that anything more is too much."

"Booth, that's ridiculous." She would do anything for him… even befriend his girlfriend. "Besides, it's not like I've been very easy. I should have never come between you and Hannah. It's my fault the two of you are not together right now."

"Stop. I'm the one that decided to talk to her about it."

"I was hurt at first. But if the roles were reversed, I think it's possible I would expect the same information so that trust could remain."

"And at what sacrifice? What's ours is supposed to remain ours."

"No, it's not like that anymore. We aren't best friends. We are not an _'us._' Hannah's needs come first. That's the way it should be. And I will work harder at accepting that, making adjustments, and moving on. I need that, Booth. And you need that, too. You have to continue to be with Hannah. If you don't, you will always wonder 'what if?' I don't want you to end up resenting me. I can't lose you, Booth. I just can't. This is the way it needs to be."

"You're right." Memories of that night returned.

"_I don't have an open heart… I can't change… I'm protecting you from myself."_

"_You're right… I need to move on."_

He'd agreed with her. And here he was, doing it again.

"I should probably go," Brennan said after a few moments of awkward silence.

"Stay."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"I do. We're just now regaining what we've lost over the past few months. I want to spend time with you. Fix things."

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Brennan stayed for about another hour and returned the next morning before the doctor arrived.

"Did you sleep okay?" she asked.

"Not really. I slept better when you were here."

"I highly doubt that it was because of me. It most likely was due to the medications you were taking."

"You're wrong, Bones."

Brennan wondered why he was making things so hard for her. For weeks, he kept himself at a distance emotionally. Now that she knew it was time to move on, he was needling himself back into her personal life. She started to feel her eyes burning and was glad when Dr. Whitcomb ended her conversation with Booth.

"I was happy with the test results. We'll be able to remove that chest tube this afternoon. I have an OR scheduled for 1:00PM."

"And then when can I go home?"

"You'll need to be monitored for at least a day, possibly two. This afternoon, a nurse will come in and have you walk the hallway. I want you to do that about every hour for a few hours. But don't overdo it. Your nurse will explain what is expected."

"Maybe I can come back this afternoon. See how you're progressing with your new routine," offered Brennan.

"I'd like that, Bones."

Unsure of what to do, she decided to do what he would have done for her. She gave him a gentle guy hug.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Brennan arrived at the Hoover about a half an hour before the scheduled interrogation with Eliza Turner. She called Booth to inform him of the set-up. Charlie and Perotta would be questioning the witness while Sweets observed for consultation. Sweets talked Brennan into staying. He was looking forward to the interaction between his favorite partners.

**

* * *

****Author's Notes: **Please forgive the shortness of the chapter. It was a good breaking point. I'll update at least once more before the next episode. I'm finally past my writer's block with _Sweets' Plan for the Truth_, so you can look forward to that, soon. Depending on the timing of my 100th reviewer's episode choice, I may have that one updated before Thursday's episode, too.

**Review Responses**

**KlingonGal8489, healingcat, and geraghtyvl** (I'm glad that you liked that Brennan said she didn't have sex out of gratitude. I heard a rumor (from sides maybe?) that she says something like this to the guy that's supposed to be in the spin-off. I did not read this, so I can't be sure. But it made me laugh because that's exactly what Hannah did with Booth and he seemed proud of it! What happened to the Booth I loved?)

**Aching Bones** (Yep… you were right about the shave. He would have been too close while watching her face as she worked. **Animagus-Steph**… thanks for the link! I hadn't seen that before.)

**Animagus-Steph, SouthunLady, Boneslover97, healingcat, and Aching Bones** (The Date: I debated on whether to have the date go badly. In the end, it was working to my benefit. 1. It reminded me of the first season when Booth was in the hospital and Bones canceled her date with the internet guy. 2. I wanted to incorporate the sex with gratitude thing and compare it to Hannah's view of the same thing. 3. I wanted her to feel what Booth felt all those years of not dating and waiting for her because no one could "_measure up_." 4. And of course, Booth jealous is cool since he's not entirely pining away anymore.)

**Tartantrace & Aching Bones** (Texting: Thanks! I did that so I wouldn't drag that part of the storyline into a dull chapter. It just hit the highlights and kept it moving. **Aching Bones**… You probably guessed it… I wasn't too impressed with Booth and Hannah's texts, either. LOL!)

**Aching Bones** (Thanks for the long response… very encouraging and motivating. Cam: I knew Cam would have to have a chit chat with Booth because her advice in his relationships had already been established after his coma dream. That revelation of Booth's behavior towards Brennan being different from other times he dated entered my head as I was writing the chapter. Caroline: She and Sweets are my favorite supporting characters. The Quote: I love it when readers point out a specific line or two that they especially liked. I hope the show's writers remember that Booth will only find comfort with his Bones.)

**JET1967** (I hope you find the storyline in the next few chapters to be realistic for B&B. I don't want to just put them together because I want them that way. I first have to undo all the harm B&B (the writers) did to their relationship.) **SouthunLady** (I hope this chapter _partially_ explains why he hasn't completely ended things with Hannah. It will become very clear in a couple of chapters from now when he has his revelation that it won't work with Hannah. I think you'll find this happens in a unique but realistic way.)

**Twenty1down **(It's my opinion that Hannah thought she could have her cake and eat it too… Meaning… She could still have her career and move on to bigger and better assignments, she wouldn't have to have kids of her own that would hinder her travel or being a part of dangerous assignments, and like Brennan… I'm guessing she doesn't believe in marriage… she needs an easy escape route if things don't work out.)

**jrfanfrommo & Animagus-Steph** (I haven't liked any of the episodes this season. That said, there have been single scenes in most of the episodes that I liked. But that isn't enough for this viewer which is why I started writing fanfiction. It helps get me through the rough spots. And if there are readers like you, it's fun to get the ideas out of my head and recorded in print!)

**cast14, Pirate Til The End, & harper83** (Thanks for the continued encouragement!)


	13. Interrogations

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Spoilers:** Season 6 (Includes promos and spoilers for future episodes)

**Rating:** T for language

**Author's Notes:** Happy Bones Day! I'm looking forward to seeing how the first sniper episode with Taffet plays out on the show this evening.

_Note the rating change above._

Please forgive any mistakes regarding the legal system.

I left responses to your reviews at the end! _(Lengthy… and there is a story spoiler… beware if don't want to read it. I put it at the very bottom of the page when responding to a reader's review.)_

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 13: Interrogations**

_Brennan arrived at the Hoover about a half an hour before the scheduled interrogation of Eliza Turner. She called Booth to inform him of the set-up. Charlie and Perotta would be questioning the witness while Sweets observed for consultation. Sweets talked Brennan into staying. He was looking forward to the interaction between his favorite partners. _

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Brennan got to work setting up the laptop.

"So, Dr. Brennan, how does Agent Booth seem to be handling everything?"

She stopped what she was doing. "He's recovering just fine. His chest tube is being taken out this afternoon. And he's relieved that he's participating this morning. Of course, I don't think he would have allowed otherwise. He ran away from the hospital once to rescue me."

"Really? That's interesting."

"And that's annoying."

Sweets just smiled. "What I was really hoping to find out was how he was doing with the changes in his relationship with Hannah."

She finished with the connection. "It's not my place to share that information." _He should know that's what I would say._

Booth appeared on the screen. "Hey, Bones. Everything running on time?"

"With Turner, I haven't heard differently. But Sweets has already started his interrogation."

Sweets rolled his eyes. "I'd hardly say that I was interrogating you."

"Ah! Sweets is there." Sweets appeared on the screen. "Listen kid, relax. What's between us is ours… meaning any conversations dealing with Hannah or any other personal matter is off limits to you."

"_Even more interesting_," thought Sweets. _"I think a few days in the hospital was just what the doctor ordered to get them talking to each other."_

"_That's a switch,"_ thought Brennan. _"The changes in Booth have been amazing and caring. If he keeps this up, I don't know how I'm going to move on."_

"Whatever it is that has you grinning stupidly, Sweets, stop thinking about it," ordered Booth.

"Looks like the show is starting," announced Brennan.

The inmate named Eliza Turner was ushered into the interrogation room by two armed guards. A few minutes later, they watched Charlie and Perotta walk in and take their seats at the opposite side of the table. Sweets had done an extensive profile on the prisoner two years ago. Given that information, it was decided that Perotta would begin the questioning.

"We are recording your statements, today. For that purpose, will you state your name?"

This line of questioning was something Brennan had never seen before and she was glad she stayed.

"In the jurisdiction of the District of Columbia, under the direction of Judge Matthews, it has been proposed to move your parole hearing up by five years in exchange for your statement regarding events leading up to Heather Taffet's death. These statements must be deemed credible by the judge before the terms of the agreement are binding. Do you agree to these terms?"

After the official standard business was taken care of, Perotta started in with her questions.

A few minutes into it, Booth said, "Well, that's no surprise. Sweets, have them go back and ask her about the night guard. Why that particular guard?"

Sweets relayed the message and they got their answer. "Bingo Baby!"

Brennan rolled her eyes at him. "I highly doubt babies play bingo, Sweets." Booth chuckled. Charlie turned to look towards the one-way window.

**Perotta:** So, Taffet was overly friendly with all of the guards, male and female. And you're claiming that a night guard by the name of Roy Bedford was coaxing bits and pieces of Taffet's crimes from her in exchange for conjugal visits. How often did this occur?

**Turner:** Once a week. On Wednesdays.

**Perotta:** Who came to visit Taffet?

**Turner:** She never said.

**Brennan:** Ask her if it could've been possible for the night guard to be the person who satisfied her biological urges.

_Perotta_ _quickly covered her mouth and faked a cough. Sweets chuckled softly. Booth looked down and shook his head._

**Perotta:** Could it have been possible that the night guard was having sex with Taffet during those visits?

**Turner:** Not likely.

**Perotta:** Why not?

**Turner:** He always made rounds immediately after chaperoning her to her room. And she was gone for only about a half an hour, sometimes less.

Sweets' immediate reply was, "Wham bam, thank you, mam." Perotta faked another cough, Charlie smirked, and Brennan furrowed her eyebrows at no one in particular. Booth spoke up. "Sweets, turn the speaker off. Geez!"

**Perotta:** Is there anything else about Roy Bedford's routine on Wednesdays that you remember?

**Turner:** He always makes more rounds than the other night guards, but I never saw anything unusual. I tried. I figured I could grab some shit on some other chic.

Booth spoke up again. "Sweets, ask her if Taffet had any dirt on another inmate."

**Perotta:** Was it typical for Taffet to look for shit from other chics?

**Turner:** Hell, yeah. How do you think we survive in here?

**Perotta:** Did Taffet piss anyone off, recently? Owe anyone something?

**Turner:** She had shit on almost everyone at some time or another. The only one she was interested in lately was Wilkens. And there was a chic that harassed her frequently. Brown. She was released two weeks ago.

**Perotta:** What was special about Wilkens?

**Turner:** I don't know. But she got special treatment from Roy on Tuesday nights.

"Damn. I need to get out of here," complained Booth. "There are guards and inmates I need to question again."

"Get it out of your mind, Agent Booth. You are not on this case right now."

"Stay out of it, Sweets."

"Nice try. I'm the one who approves when you're fit for duty." Sweets was all professional in his statement and never once looked at the monitor.

The questioning went on for another hour. Booth had refused his morning dose of medications, he hadn't eaten since the previous night, and he was exhausted. He figured he looked like hell.

"Are you in any pain?"

"I'm fine, Bones."

"Did you take your pain medication this morning?" asked Brennan.

"I didn't need it."

"Which means you made a sacrifice in order to stay awake for this," noted Sweets.

"I can handle it. So drop it."

Brennan stood near the laptop, bent over, and looked directly at the screen. "Obviously, you needed it Booth. You're moody," she whispered.

He sighed. _Did she have to wear a low cut blouse, today?_ "Bones, I'm moody because of Taffet," he replied in a whisper for no reason other than Brennan had whispered. "But, if you want to see me change my attitude, you can come back here and keep me company," he said with his charming smile.

Brennan smiled back at him. "I can't. I still have a couple of things I need to do before I get there."

"Oh, come on, Bones," he whined. "You know that you've always been able to cheer me up."

"Booth… you're whining… here at the Hoover," she stated with surprise. He was essentially at work and he, Special Agent Seeley Booth, was whining. Booth blushed adorably.

Sweets stood back leaning against a nearby wall and just watched the interaction between the partners. Days like this had become unfamiliar and he realized how much he had missed them.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

**Review Responses/Commentary**

**Tartantrace, SouthunLady, & Boneslover97** (When I read that Brennan says something about not having sex for gratitude in a future episode, it instantly reminded me of episode 2. Of all the things that have annoyed me about Hannah Banana, her excitement over gratitude sex under a fig tree annoyed me the most. It was the first evidence I noticed that she was changing the Booth I knew and loved. So… I'm glad you liked it so much. (*u*)

**IndiaDuBois** (I haven't decided, yet, if Brennan will go on another date with Jake. I keep changing my mind. It would give her confidence, but it would also push Booth into staying with Hannah for that "safety net." And Booth waited for her for so long without dating anyone. I'd kind of like to see Booth noticing she's doing the same for him… she couldn't move on therefore he wouldn't be so afraid of her and questioning if she had regrets from being afraid of losing him for good because of Hannah or was it really love? But then I go back to the confidence thing for Brennan and seeing her happy. So, I don't know.) **healingcat **(I'm glad you liked the text from Jake. I think I rewrote that 3 times!)

**Harper83** (Thanks for the laugh! I've had a lot of moments when I've wanted to throw my TV out the door after watching a season 6 episode.)

**ObsessedWithBones3000** (My hubby laughs at me when I say "Awww!" or laugh while writing my own story. LOL! Glad you liked the line "I slept better when you were here." And I love it when readers point out specific lines that they enjoyed. Booth not calling Brennan "Bones" as much… I hadn't noticed that. I guess I was concentrating too much on how he was distancing himself in other ways.)

**SouthunLady **(I could tell from your reviews early in the story that you are just as upset as I am about what's happening in season 6. Thanks for sticking with the story. It's encouraging to read that you like how they're becoming friends again first and Booth is realizing what's he's done to harm his relationship with Bones.)

**Boneslover97** (Thanks for telling me about 6x13!) I immediately went looking for the spoilers after I read your review. I'm trying to stay calm over the photos because they look soooo promising. About the sniper… I want Booth to be able to depend on Brennan. I don't see Hannah ever being able to do that. To me, she seems to think about herself first… such the opposite of Brennan. I don't know why HH thinks they're so alike. I'm guessing my sniper story will be very different from the one on the show. I hope it kept your attention and has you wondering how it will end. I was so humbled when you commented that my story is getting more awesome. That's a huge compliment for any writer and especially for who just started writing stories 7 months ago.)

**Aching Bones** (I love showing Brennan's steep learning curve. It's tricky to do that without going out of character. I'm interested in what you thought about the interrogation. I had a hard time writing it… hardest chapter so far. I hope I didn't rush it. I wanted to get it done before tonight's sniper episode so I wouldn't be too influenced by it.)

**Aching Bones & Barb** (I'm not sure I see Brennan running right now. I think she genuinely wants Booth too make sure his relationship with Hannah is real or not so she won't become the consolation prize. I think his time doing nothing in the hospital has given him time to feel guilty and receptive to a change in his love life. He really did a good job of getting her to open up that first night in the hospital. He has always been the one to tear down her walls. And I agree that he needs to be more persistent with her this time.)

**Barb** (If I wasn't writing this story right now to make the storyline happier than the show, I wouldn't be watching right now. I didn't watch eps 9 and I only watched a couple of scenes of eps 8.)

**KlingonGal8489** (Something very interesting is coming up to help him realize he can't keep agreeing with her.)

**Animagus-Steph** (I try very hard to keep everyone in character and so when I get a review praising me on that, I get excited. So, thank you. Brennan's heart is big and I wish Booth would give her evidence of that on the show. There's soon to be a side plot where he will get that opportunity. I wouldn't be able to give up Booth, either, but I don't have the trust issues she has. I think that's why she is so rewarding to write… she's so different from me.)

_**SPOILER for The Trouble in the Triangle (**_**Animagus-Steph)** The length… yeah, sometimes I struggle with chapter length. I don't always write my chapters in order. My elevator scenes are in a lonnnnng chapter and I was in tears by the time I wrapped it up and went on into the next chapter. I hope it evokes the same kind of happy, sappy emotions in my readers.


	14. Apple Pie

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Spoilers:** Season 6 (Includes promos and spoilers for future episodes)

**Rating:** T for language

**Author's Notes:** This is a small filler chapter I hadn't planned on writing. But I really like it and I'm glad I added it. Although it's short, it wasn't easy. This is truly a labor of love. I got my hand smashed in a car door. Please forgive me on the short chapter and limited review responses.

All the wonderful things I loved about last Thursday's episode are in my profile. I was able to get that done before I hurt my hand.

* * *

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 14: Apple Pie**

Booth smiled with pure happiness when he saw Brennan walk through the door. "You're back!"

"Of course I am, Booth. Where else would I be shortly before you go into the OR?"

His smile changed to one that expressed affection and he got that familiar look in his eyes. "Thanks, Bones. But I shouldn't have begged. I'm sorry I took you away from your work for just a little surgical procedure."

"Well, I'm staying. I want to be here for you when the nurses make you get out of bed. I think you're going to be more unstable than you realize."

"You're not going to let me cheat, are you?"

"No cheating. But I did bring a reward." Brennan opened the bag she'd been carrying.

"What do you have in there?"

She lifted out a take-out container and lifted the lid. The undeniable aroma of apple pie caught his attention before his eyes could see it. In the container, he could see two pieces of apple pie.

"Aw Bones, you're the best."

"I know."

"Does the fact that there are two pieces mean that you're finally going to eat pie with me?"

She shook her head. "You know I don't like my fruit cooked. (fruit cooked)." She chuckled because he joined her to finish the old line he'd found endearing. It was a piece of the past that he'd been missing. Of course, there were other things he missed more, but as little as it was, it was theirs.

An orderly came in to take Booth to the operating room. Booth remembered the last time that had happened. "Hey Bones, walk with me like last time?"

She wondered if Hannah was as affected by his smile as she was. "I can do that." Then he unexpectedly reached for her hand.

Booth explained, "It seems like the thing to do… like last time." Brennan smirked and took his hand even though he clearly wasn't nervous like he was with the brain tumor. He asked the orderly if he could wait for a minute before going in.

"After the procedure, I'd like to talk about our partnership and friendship… about repairing it. I'm realizing I haven't been around enough and well… not as supportive as I used to be."

"Booth, I admit it's been different, but everything is fine. Please don't worry about it."

"Bones, it's not fine for me. You deserve better. No running from this. Promise?"

"It's unnecessary."

"Bones…"

"Okay." Booth smiled and squeezed her hand.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

When Booth woke up from the anesthesia, the first thing he saw was the nurse who was fiddling with his IV. Then he felt a squeeze on the opposite hand and turned to see Brennan.

"Hi," she simply said. She was glad once again that he hadn't slipped into a coma. Now , did he remember...

"Hi, Bones" he said back. She smiled then and Booth knew what she was concerned about.

"How do you feel? Are you in any pain?" she asked. He shook his head.

The nurse grabbed his attention away from Brennan. "The resident will come in and examine you. If he gives us the green light, we'll have you up and walking in about an hour."

"I'm ready for that. I have apple pie waiting if I'm not cheating by taking short cuts."

The young nurse laughed. "I guess I won't have to be monitoring you then."

"What green light are you referring to?" asked Brennan. Booth chuckled.

The nurse hid her surprise and answered as if it was a perfectly normal quesion. "It means the doctor has agreed that he's ready for walking as therapy for his lungs. We don't want pneumonia settling in. He's passed part of the exam by laughing. You're proving to be helpful."

Booth squeezed her hand.

He was happy when the nurse left his room. He wanted to hear his Bones talk just to hear her voice. "Talk to me," he said softly.

She sounded uncertain. "About what?"

"Anything."

"I don't have much to say."

"That's not true. Tell me about Limbo."

"You want to hear about Limbo?" she said with skepticism.

"Yeah. It's what you do when we're not on a case. It's important to you."

She sat there looking at him as if she couldn't trust herself to have heard him correctly.

"I know you have stories to go with them, but if you'd rather not…"

She interrupted him. "No," she said quickly. "I just wasn't expecting it. I didn't think…" She saw that he was smirking at her and decided not to insist on a reason. So she launched into the stories of her latest World War II victims' lives.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Even though he was warned, Booth was surprised by how weak he felt when he got out of bed. Brennan was at his side the whole trip down the hall and back. He was quite winded when they returned to his room. He was relieved when he started feeling more like himself after a few hours of his routine.

"That's four trips in four hours, Bones. Is it time, yet?" Booth looked like a kid anticipating a long awaited treat after dinner. She chuckled at him and walked over to the window sill to retrieve the apple pie.

"Thanks, Bones. Will you share it with me?"

"I don't want any, thank you. I brought a fresh apple for myself. You should start eating more fresh foods. At your age…"

"Hey, hey… Don't be talking about my age." She rolled her eyes but smiled afterwards. "You don't have to sit way over there. It's not like it will keep me from pestering you about my pie."

It was times like these that his charming smile became irritating because it was harder to resist. And she didn't like failing or allowing the special agent a chance to puff up his ego.

"Bones?" he lifted a brow.

"Fine," she said. And there it was, the smile of victory.

"How does that thing taste?"

"Wonderfully crunchy and sweet." She started lifting the apple to her mouth again and her lips were slightly parted in anticipation, but Booth was quicker and was able to slip the tip of his fork into her mouth.

She was forced to swallow. "Booth! What do you think you're doing?"

He laughed. The surprised reaction and unusual expression on her face was worth the wrath of Bones.

They ate in silence and Booth watched Brennan prepare to leave before he got up the nerve to talk about what they'd been avoiding since he returned from having the chest tube removed. "Bones, wait."

She lifted her head and noticed that he looked distressed.

**

* * *

**

**Limited Review Responses/Commentary**

Thank you to everyone who has commented on my **writing in general**. It's very sweet and encouraging. I'm currently working on an original collection of short stories, targeted for teens with attention difficulties, and looking to get the book published.

**About Brennan in this chapter:** I thought it was okay to hear her say "_please._" I watched the last eps. 4 times. (LOL) She was polite by saying "_please"_ and "_thank you"_ when I least expected it. She also didn't fight Booth and said "_okay_."

**About B&B in this chapter:** I love how B&B have always been there for each other. I was shocked when Hannah was having surgery on her leg to save her life and Booth left to work the case with Brennan. Very telling even back then.

I love **Sweets**. A few of you have mentioned that you do too. Glad you liked the old B&B banter and Sweets watching it. **Booth** was very friendly towards Sweets in the last eps. I had planned that relationship to build in this story and now feel comfortable doing so.

_**(Copied from my posting in the BY)**_

**More Sweets **- _In the last episode: The last scene between Booth and Sweets, in my opinion, is sort of like "a coming of age" thing. Caroline has accepted him into their fold as someone other than just a kid. He's now an expert. Sweets sees this when he sees Booth's understanding. He realizes Booth has been where he is now... accepted by Caroline._

^I think this is important to justify what will soon be coming up in this story.


	15. I Didn't Want to be Me

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Spoilers:** Season 6 (Includes promos and spoilers for future episodes)

**Rating:** T for language

**Author's Notes:** I hope this isn't too much too soon. Booth has had a lot of time to think and at the moment he has more of Brennan's attention than usual. Let me know what you think!

When I refer to the time they've been back as a couple of months, please remember that their time frame is different from ours. When we started to watch the story pick back up in September, it was December for them. The Valentine's episode hasn't even aired yet and at that time we will be on the same time frame. It's my opionion that B&B have been back working together for only 6-8 weeks... which makes the timing of the Parker episode not so strange... as in why did it take so long?

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 15: I Didn't Want to be Me**

_They ate in silence and Booth watched Brennan prepare to leave before he got up the nerve to talk about what they'd been avoiding since he returned from having the chest tube removed. "Bones, wait."_

_She lifted her head and noticed that he looked distressed. _

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"Will you stay awhile longer?" She looked nervous, but he only wanted to talk about their friendship and partnership. "I'd like a chance to explain some things about me and to apologize."

She smiled softly. "Booth, you really don't need to do this."

"Really, Bones? You haven't noticed anything different about me that might have affected the way we work together?" She was silent while contemplating what he was thinking. "That's what I thought."

"I didn't say anything. How could you possibly come to that conclusion?"

"Your silence can sometimes tell me just as much as your words, Bones. I know you. I know how you think, how you react, and how you rationalize things that make you uncomfortable. So, Bones, sit right down here and let me talk for a few minutes. I'm not going to feel alright with myself or with us if I can't be responsible for how I've acted." She sat down next to his bed. "Thank you," he said barely above a whisper.

"I didn't know why at the time and I was hurt that you never called while we were away. I should have tried to contact you somehow, but I was too prideful. I was in too much pain and didn't handle it very well."

"Booth, you don't have to tell me this. It's personal."

"Bones, we used to be able to share everything with each other. We lost that. This is the only way I know how to begin to get it back." She nodded and he continued. "I didn't want to be me. My life was screwed up. I needed a clear head and a different point of view to survive. I learned to only allow myself to be the real me when I was talking with Parker." He took a deep breath and sighed. Noticing the time, he thought maybe she would be more comfortable moving instead of sitting still.

"It's been an hour. I know a nice place where we could walk while I do all this talking." Relieved by her smile, he once again climbed out of bed and wrapped another gown around himself followed by his robe and shoes. He was very thankful that Brennan thought to bring him his robe and his shoes for all the walking he was doing. The hospital gowns were just not enough coverage for his comfort level and the hospital's slippers were not enough protection for his scarred feet.

"So, as I said, I didn't want to be me. And then Hannah came along. I think the best way I can explain it is that I became the person she assumed I was. I lived a different life for several months, in location and in personality. When we returned early, I wasn't prepared mentally for the rush of familiarity with people and places. I wanted to stay hidden from myself… like how I think you have been successfully doing since your parents left."

"You think that's what I do? How?"

"You choose to close yourself off. You choose not to feel emotions. You ignore much of the world around you."

"Except for you," said Brennan softly.

"Yeah, and then I threw it away."

"I don't know what that means."

"I came back from Afghanistan convinced that if I shut you out of my life emotionally, then I would survive the reminder of not being wanted. The reminder that every woman that ever meant anything to me had turned away and rejected me."

"That's not true, Booth. You have Hannah."

"I didn't know that when I came home. I know I said it was serious, but honestly, I didn't know if I would ever see her again. And then she surprised me."

"I remember," she mumbled.

"She was what I needed to shield myself from any unwanted feelings." (_for you_) "I've been that other person that Hannah met at war. I've been living a different life. There never was a balance between partnership, friendship, and my relationship with Hannah. I spent all my free time with her."

"But Booth, that's how it's supposed to be," she argued.

"To that extreme? Has our partnership felt right to you?"

"Yes."

"Explain how it is right. Prove it."

"It's not science, Booth. I think you're getting yourself agitated. Let's go back to your room."

"If you're going to deny we have changed, and not for the better, then I will be the one to talk about it. Which is fine. I have a lot of apologizing to do."

She tilted her head to the side and looked at him from the corner of her left eye.

"I've had too much time on my hands being in this boring hospital. So, please just listen. If you want to argue with me, wait until I'm done. Okay, Bones?"

"Fine."

"Good.

"I'm sorry for not taking the time we used to make to discuss our cases. Although our solve rate isn't down, I don't think we have been as efficient." He looked to see if she would argue and saw that her expression was unreadable. "I'm sorry that I've been moody and easily agitated." She raised a brow. Booth shrugged a shoulder. "Sweets told me that one," he said with a smirk. "I'm sorry that I've neglected to celebrate at the end of our cases like we used to. You're right. I've lost sight of what used to be ours." He saw sorrow in her eyes and guessed that his eyes reflected the same feeling. "I'm sorry for not taking an interest in the things you enjoy and well… just plain talking about anything. I'm sorry for not being available to you when you needed help with relating to people. In fact, I've been the opposite."

His eyes became a little teary and he waited for a minute before continuing. "Bones, I don't understand how you've tolerated me these past couple of months. I've shut you out and pushed you away. And what do you do? You except my girlfriend and even go out of your way to be friends with her. You ignore my behavior when I'm being an ass. Basically, you accept anything I give you, which has been almost nothing. And do you know what is so outrageous about all of this?"

She waited for him and finally realized he was waiting for her to respond. "No…"

"You claim you don't have an open heart." He laughed out of disbelief rather than happiness. "You have the biggest heart of anyone I know. I don't deserve you… as a friend or as a partner."

"But Booth…"

He held up his hand. "I don't deserve you, but I'm glad you haven't given up on me, that you haven't left me." He didn't want her to see that he was close to tears so he looked down at his hands. She gently covered his hands with her own.

"Booth, when have you ever given up on me?" There were a few moments of silence except for a sniffle or two. He wasn't sure who they came from. "Never. You have never given up on me, Booth. And maybe things haven't been the same, but you would never hurt me on purpose. And you would always protect me or save me when you could. You did that a couple of weeks ago, Booth." She took a deep breath and squeezed his hands being held by hers. "You have shown me that people can change. I've changed because of you. I'm a better person because of you."

"Oh, Bones. I'm a better person because of you, too."

"You're exhausted from everything you've done today. You need to sleep because I have things to explain and apologize for, too."

"When will I see you again?"

"When you wake up. I'll camp out on the sleeper chair."

The last thing Booth was thinking about before he fell asleep was something that he and Brennan had said to each other. _"You have shown me that people can change. I've changed because of you. I'm a better person because of you." "Oh, Bones. I'm a better person because of you, too."_ He wondered if the same could be said about Hannah and him.

**

* * *

**

**Review Responses**

Thank you **bones35, JET1967, boneslover97, harper83, Aching Bones, SquintytotheBone **(IndiaDuBois), & **Animagus-Steph** for your reviews.

**Hand: **Thanks for the well wishes on my hand. It's healing slowly but surely. Only slightly swollen after 3 days. Of course, it's also very discolored. (I'll be working on SPftT next, but it probably won't be up until tomorrow.)

**Sweets: **The thought of Brennan telling Sweets about the pie made me smile. Thanks for the idea.

**Caroline & Sweets:** They're my favorite supporting characters, so I will have them back in this story for sure!

**Cute B&B chapter: **It made me smile knowing that you enjoyed it! I thought Booth deserved some **apple pie** for his suffering and they needed to get some fun bickering back, too. I've been waiting for a good time to get Booth to slip some apple pie into Brennan's mouth.

**Conversation:** Many of you were looking forward to the conversation in this chapter. It's only ½ done. I hope it's lived up to your expectations so far. Any suggestions for Brennan's part that I may not have thought of?

**Booth:** Thanks **bones3**5 for the compliment on Booth's demeanor!

**JET1967:** Probably the biggest compliment I could have received considering how HH and his writers have shaken the very foundation of B&B's relationship.

"_Even though this chapter was short, it felt so right, like things used to be and can be again. Scenes like this remind me that it IS possible for Booth and Brennan to regain what they had and then go forward. Repairing the friendship will require work, but it's worth it, isn't it?"_

**Bones Episode**: It's always interesting to read other people's POV!


	16. Your Happiness is Important to Me

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Spoilers:** Season 6 (Includes promos and spoilers for future episodes)

**Rating:** T for language

**Author's Notes:** When you see **(~Booth&Bones~)**, that means some time has passed whether it's a little or a lot. I think a lot of my readers were anticipating this chapter because you knew B&B's relationship break down wasn't one-sided. I look forward to what you think of Brennan's realizations about her behavior. With all that has happened to her this season, I think this could really happen, but some may think it's a bit out of character. Please review and let me know. In the next chapter, the plot will be moving along, again.

_Review responses are at the end! Thank you for your encouragement._

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 16: Your Happiness is Important to Me**

When Brennan woke up, it took her a few seconds to figure out where she was. The sound of Booth's voice alarmed her and she got up and walked to the side of his hospital bed. He was clearly upset about something as he mumbled in his sleep.

Booth was feeling full of anxiety as he was waking up, but as soon as he saw Brennan eyes and felt her hand around his, he started to calm down.

"Booth? Are you okay?"

"I am now. Did I wake you up?"

"Yes." Always direct and to the point, Booth thought it was impossible for her to tell even a little white lie. "Do you remember what you were dreaming about? I couldn't make out your words, but you sounded upset." Her voice was soft and reassuring, and thanks for the small, dim light next to his bed, he could see that her eyes were full of concern.

"Yeah, I remember at least some of it. But I'm fine. I'm sorry I woke you up."

"I'm not upset about being awake, Booth. Something had you upset and that concerns me. I'm not going back to sleep if you can't sleep peacefully." He smiled and shook his head at her. "What?"

"You're special, Bones."

"Why would you say that?"

He chuckled. "You still can't take a compliment."

"A compliment needs to be based on facts, Booth. I don't understand your logic."

"My compliments are based on my past and current observations of you. Don't you use the skill of observation to collect data in science?"

"Booth, your observations are subjective to your beliefs. You can't compare it to scientific research."

"You're so cute when you get all defensive about science."

"I am definitely not cute."

"Definitely, Bones? Where's your proof?" She glared at him and attempted to walk away, but he grabbed the hand that was holding his. "Don't be like that, Bones. Come sit next to me and I'll tell you my dream… as long as you don't freak out."

"It was your dream that had you anxious. I highly doubt that it will cause the same reaction in me since I'm not experiencing it in my subconscious."

He quirked a brow. "Psychology, Bones? Wait! I'm done pestering you. I promise. Just sit down." He moved over to make room for her. "You need to relax, Bones." He propped himself up on his pillows and began to rub her back.

"That does feel good," she mumbled. Booth flashed a victorious smile.

**~Booth&Bones~**

"Your dream started as a memory?"

"Yes."

"Of Sully?"

"Yes. I was remembering the case about the copy cat killers acting out your book."

She shuddered. "I had a difficult time finishing the book I was writing at the time."

"Yeah, I remember. It was never your fault."

"I know. But at the time, it felt like it was. You were so supportive. What would make you so anxious about it in a dream?"

"Do you remember how strained your relationship with Sully became?"

**~Booth&Bones~**

"But Booth, I still don't understand why that would have you anxious. That just proves what a good and kind-hearted man you are."

Booth took a deep breath. "This is hard," he whispered. "Bones, I gave him good advice. I told him not to let you push him away. Don't you see the irony in that?"

"What are you saying?"

"I essentially told him not to run away to lick his wounds. I told him to fight for you. And when that advice mattered the most, I didn't take it. Bones… I was an idiot! I ran away to Afghanistan to lick my wounds. Instead of fighting for you, I fell for the first person who was willing to make me feel better. What does that say about me?"

"Wait a minute, Booth." She hopped off of the bed and started pacing. "There is no way I'm going to allow you to blame yourself for all of my mistakes."

**~Booth&Bones~**

"Bones, you're scaring me. You've been sitting there curled up in a ball for the past 15 minutes. Please talk to me."

"You had every right to move on. Maybe I was a little upset that you immediately said you needed to move on… no "freak-out" time given." He loved it when she used his words. "But ultimately, I accepted your logic. You had already been waiting for five years. You deserved to be happy and I didn't think it could happen with me. I still don't think it could have happened. I simply wasn't ready. And even if I was, I had opportunity to change my mind. Instead, I ran away… from you after the case and then to Maluku. I even started dating Hacker because you were seeing Catherine."

Brennan laid her face in her hands for a few moments. "I wasn't acting myself. I was confused. I didn't know who I was without you and that scared me. That's why I had to get away, Booth. I'm sorry that you misunderstood why I was leaving. I'm sorry I didn't make an effort to contact you. And before you say anything… I'm sure if I tried, I could have found some way to communicate. After all, I am rich."

Despite his shock at his partner's sudden confessions, he smiled at the familiar ego trip. But it faded all too quickly. "Are you saying that you didn't think about me while you were gone, so there wasn't really a reason to make an effort?"

"No, Booth. I _wanted_ to talk to you, but I _couldn't_ talk to you. I needed time alone… to be me again. Not being dependent on anyone else for my happiness. Not depending on _you_ for my happiness."

"Bones, I don't know what to say. I know you've always counted on me to help you with emotional things and I feel like I let you down."

"You didn't, Booth. You didn't let me down. The time away gave me time to think and rationalize."

"Thinking and rationalizing usually don't bode well for me."

"I think it did."

"How?"

"Usually when I disagreed with you about things of the heart, I was reacting out of fear. Once I took the time to comfort myself with the facts, I was able to accept the person I was changing into."

"You said you can't change."

"I was wrong. I wasn't looking at the evidence."

"The evidence?"

"Yes. I've come to realize that we work so well together because we trust each, we've helped each other evolve into more well-rounded people, and we complement each other. I'm a better person because of you. I'm not dependent. I'm not owned by you. I can stand on my own. I think this time back has proven that to me. I can just be your partner and accept it. I'm still me, still independent, and I'm still better for knowing you. All of my experiences have made me who I am, today. I shouldn't trap myself in some definition and not allow myself new experiences. I'm not going to lose myself. Like I said before, I don't want to look back on my life and have a trail of regrets."

"Wow. You've given me a lot to think about. I'm proud of you, Bones."

"Why? I hurt you."

"Because you knew what you needed. You didn't let yourself fall into compartmentalizing and not feeling. You used your time alone. What did I do? I wallowed in self-pity and found someone to mask the pain."

"But it all turned out for the good. Look at us. I have a new understanding of myself and you found the happiness you've been looking for."

"I wish you'd stop saying that. A foundation built on insecurity and rejection is not a stable one for a successful relationship. Look at Hannah and me now. She's on her way to the opposite side of the world in just a couple of days."

"Booth, that wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been so cruel and gotten in the way. I hope you can forgive me one day."

"There's nothing to forgive, Bones. And I should thank you, really."

Brennan snorted. "That is not rational, Booth."

"Deep down, I think I knew it wouldn't last. You've just spared us more agony by creating an opportunity that will prevent us from putting off the inevitable."

"Booth, you're scaring me. I'll always wonder if it could have worked out for you. Your happiness is important to me. It's certainly more important than my own."

_Bones is pouring her heart out to me like she never has before, like I never knew she could. And I'm feeling sad and hopeless because she's still pushing me away when it's obvious that she loves me. What could possibly be more screwed up than that?_

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

The doctor arrived shortly after seven and ordered more tests. If the results were all positive, he could go home that afternoon. Booth was beyond happy. He hated hospitals. The only thing he wasn't sure about was being surrounded by memories of Hannah.

"Booth? Are you okay? I thought you would be happier?"

"Oh, I _am_ happy to be leaving this place. Don't doubt that. I'm just not ready to go home. I need more time to deal with the changes. I'm sorry if that upsets you."

"I thought you said she moved into a hotel until it was time to leave the country."

"She did. But the last time I was there… It's silly. Don't listen to me."

"Are you suggesting that I ignore you? Don't be ridiculous, Booth. If it's helpful, you can stay with me for however long you need. I have the spare bedroom. Or I'm sure someone else would offer. Angela and Jack have lots of room. Or even your brother."

"I don't want to be a burden."

"You could never be a burden."

"I'll think about it. Okay, Bones? Besides, I'll need to go back eventually. How would I be able to have Parker with me for weekends when he returns?"

"I love Parker. He's always welcome, too. You should know that."

"Bones, you're too good to me."

"Not good enough."

"Excuse me? Do you actually feel that way?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it matters! It matters a lot." She didn't look convinced. "You know what? I think I'll take you up on that offer. Apparently you need to some proof of how you are more than good enough to be spending time with me." He gave her his charming smile."

"When was the last time you heard from Parker?" She desperately wanted to change the topic.

"Yesterday morning before you got here. I wonder why he hasn't called yet." He gave her a worried look.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

I love all the alerts, favorites, and reviews! Thanks for reading my work. It is very gratifying… _**(SouthunLady, Aching Bones, cast14, bones35, Animagus-Steph, utgotye, jrfanfrommo, LJxD, harper83, bblover228, Boneslover97, and coffeelover328.)**_

**What did you think about last night's episode?** I will be posting my thoughts on my profile page probably on Saturday.

**My Hand:** I'm able to use it more. I'm thinking I may still need to see a doctor and have it x-rayed. Now that the swelling has gone down, I can see a deformity. (It's been a week!)

**An apology:** I recently found out that some people find it rude to work on multiple stories at once. I hope I haven't offended anyone. I work with the muse. Even though _Now, That's More Like It_ isn't a multi-chapter story, I'll be updating it again soon for two reasons. I promised the last 100th reviewer and I wanted to watch a couple of older episodes to get my writing muse going. I have a new story called _A Hero's Sacrifice _that I started a couple of days ago. And I've started a community, _Bones: More than Brennan and Booth_, for stories that contain supporting and/or original characters that help tell the story of B&B. There are quite a few case fics posted there. You know how much a like a good plot to go along with all the fluff!

**Review Responses**

**Brennan's Apology:** I agree that both are at fault to how it ended up that they both left the country. Did it live up to your expectations?

**Booth's Conclusion:** In my opinion, that's what the whole season has been about so far… How Booth has changed with Hannah in comparison to how B&B changed each other for the better.

**Heart wrenching conversations & longing expressions:** I'm so glad they are returning to the show. I need them! There are more deep conversations coming in this story, but probably not again for another couple of chapters.

**Hannah Banana:** They are still officially together, but they are taking a break… meanwhile B&B are growing closer together back home. *u*

**Addressing Booth's Behavior:** Thanks **bones35.** I'm glad you liked the reasoning I put behind some of his behavior. I'm looking forward to reading what you thought of the reasoning behind **Brennan's behavior.**

**Story Length:** It has a couple of more sub-plots to get through before B&B finally get together, so it's not done, yet, **JLxD**.

**Including Storyline details from the show: **_Ex: Booth needing shoes for his crippled feet._ I'm addicted to Bones! I think I've seen most episodes 2 or more times. (Except the first half of season 6) I love profiling them. LOL! I wish the writers would go back and watch some of the old episodes to remind themselves who the characters really are.

**Bones forgiving Booth:** I don't remember Brennan holding grudges for long. The only ones I can think of were in the pilot and they hadn't talked for a year and when Booth faked his death for a case.

**Animagus-Steph:** You made some very good points about Brennan's behavior.

**Thank you for your reviews. They mean a lot and are very motivating! I've recently received two emails about finishing **_**He Called Me Baby. **_**I left it alone when I got discouraged with season 6 and I was barely writing anything. I thought my readers had forgotten it, too. So reviews really are inspiring. Thank you for reading and responding. **


	17. The Grumbling from the Agent

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Spoilers:** Season 6 (Includes promos and spoilers for future episodes)

**Rating:** T for language

**Author's Notes:** I've had a crazy week, but I'm aiming for one more update before this week's episode. I've had a plan from the beginning and I don't want the events in the episode to influence a change in that plan.

_Review responses are at the end! Thank you for your encouragement._

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 17: The Grumbling from the Agent**

"_When was the last time you heard from Parker?" She desperately wanted to change the topic._

"_Yesterday morning before you got here. I wonder why he hasn't called yet." He gave her a worried look._

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"I'm sure there's nothing to worry about, Booth. He probably just found something very interesting that has distracted him more than usual."

"I know you're probably right. I can always count on you to be rational," admitted Booth.

Brennan smiled. "That's a compliment I'll accept." Booth chuckled.

Brennan's phone chirped and displayed a number she didn't recognize. "Brennan."

"Oh. Hello, Rebecca." Booth raised an inquiring eyebrow at her. "I don't understand. Why wouldn't you just call Booth?" There was a lengthy pause. "Oh, I see."

Booth's surprise turned to one of worry. "Bones? Bones, what's wrong? There's something wrong, isn't there?"

"Rebecca, I'm with Booth right now at the hospital. I'm going to put this on speaker so we can both listen."

Booth relaxed slightly. Parker was his son. He should know what's going on. He wasted no time in questioning Rebecca. "Rebecca, what's going on? Is there something wrong? Why didn't you call me? I'm his father."

"Seeley. Calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down. Is Parker okay?"

Brennan gently put a hand on Booth's shoulder. "He's going to be fine. Please just listen."

"Thank you, Dr. Brennan. Seeley, everything is fine. I just had to take Parker to the emergency room last night because…"

"What?" he asked with a raised voice.

Rebecca gave an exasperated sigh. "This is why I called Dr. Brennan."

Brennan rolled her eyes and she watched Booth glare at the phone. She couldn't imagine why he thought that was necessary. She wasn't going to be able to see him. At least, he became quiet enough to listen.

"We had dinner at the park. About an hour later, Parker started vomiting. It was excessive and he became dehydrated. They gave him some medicine through an IV to calm his stomach while they replaced the fluids he'd lost. He's fine, Seeley. The doctor said that it was probably food poisoning."

"Did anyone else succumb to the food poisoning?" asked Brennan.

"Yes, Agent Thomas was also treated and released."

"Released already? Is he capable of protecting you?"

"We're fine, Seeley. Max and Russ are here. And we're not going anywhere, today. By tomorrow, they should be feeling more like normal."

"I still don't like it," he grumbled. "Please call me every couple of hours. I wanna know how they are. And I want to be able to talk to Parker."

"He's asleep right now. And I think every couple of hours is excessive."

"I agree," said Brennan.

"Bones! You're supposed to be on my side."

Brennan rolled her eyes. "There are no sides, Booth."

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Brennan picked up her phone and looked to see who the caller was.

"Is that Rebecca?"

"It's only been an hour. It's Charlie."

"Brennan." She just listened for a couple of minutes. "Do you need me to go with you?"

"Okay. That sounds like a more suitable plan. Booth is probably being released this afternoon."

Once she disconnected the call, she began to answer all the questions she assumed Booth would ask. "They don't have much yet on the leads given to them from Taffet's cellmate. But they were made aware that similar sniper shots have killed two other inmates in a prison in Michigan."

"Do they know if they're related?"

"The time frame would work out."

"So, are they eliminating the idea that Taffet was their main target?"

"Not yet. But it does appear that she fits the victimology profile. All of the prisoners were incarcerated for murdering children. And each of them were either not sentenced to death or were appealing the sentence."

"You don't need to go to Michigan?"

"It's not necessary since the evidence was collected weeks ago. But all of the necessary remains and related forensic evidence are being sent to the Jeffersonian."

"That's five victims, total. You're going to be busy and that's if we don't have anymore victims pop up. Are you sure about me staying with you?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Cam has agreed to keep Clark on until we solve the case. He's been taken out of the rotation of interns making him an additional staff member for the time being."

"That was very generous of Cam. I'll be sure to thank her. But I have to say I'm surprised, Bones. I thought you'd be more protective and hovering over your squinterns more."

"My interns are improving their skills, Booth. There's no reason to be hovering over Clark."

"Wow! I'm proud of you Bones."

"I'm not the one you should be proud of. Clark has been learning at a rapid rate. He's becoming an exceptional forensic anthropologist."

"You're his teacher, Bones. That gives me a reason to be proud of you."

"Perhaps."

_I've missed a lot,_ thought Booth with regret.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"Bones, I really appreciate that you want to help me, but there is no way I'm letting you go to my apartment alone to pack what I need."

"I don't understand what the problem is, Booth."

"Some things are private."

"Are you afraid I'll find a secret stash of pornographic material in your underwear drawer?"

"Geez, Bones! Don't say stuff like that. And I don't want you in my underwear drawer at all, not because there's anything to hide."

Booth didn't like extended periods of silence, especially when he had a lot on his mind. "Rebecca should have called by now."

Brennan laughed. "You just talked to Parker no more than three hours ago."

"That's too long. Parker sounded miserable. And the agent wasn't doing any better."

Brennan's cell phone rang. "Is that Rebecca?"

She shook her head. "Hi Jake."

Booth looked out the side window wishing he didn't have to hear her end of the conversation and was relieved that it was a short call. "You don't have to stop your social life on the account of me." Secretly he was happy that she turned the guy down for dinner on the account of him.

"It's your first night out of the hospital. I don't have any desire to be anywhere else." His heart swelled. "He understood and he offered to take me to lunch tomorrow." His elation was short lived. It was turning out to be a miserable day.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"It's nice to see you smile again. You must have enjoyed your time on the phone with Parker."

"I did. He sounds much better and was interested in talking about everything he saw yesterday afternoon at Disneyworld. And the agent is doing much better, too."

"So, you're feeling better about the whole situation?" He nodded. "You're a good father, Booth. Your over protectiveness can be quite annoying sometimes, but I understand it."

"Thanks, Bones." He wondered if she ever realized why he was so over protective of her. Of course, he hadn't been that way in a very long time. He was having so many regrets. "Any chance you'd like to relax with a good movie? I brought a few modern classics with me."

"I don't like to use valuable time that way, but I'll make an exception this time."

"You'll enjoy it. I promise. Let me grab the movies and you can help me choose one."

* * *

**Review Responses**

Thanks for all the positive reviews! (**JET1967, OoopsAmObsessed, Aching Bones, Boneslover97, jrfanfrommo, JLxd,** and **cast14**) I'm glad people are still enjoying the journey of B&B in this storyline. The number of continued reviews, hits, and alerts has been amazing.

**TV: **I can't remember if Brennan ever got a TV on the show, but for the purposes of this story, she has one now.

**Sully/Booth's Dream:** Thanks! I'm glad you liked that. It was one of the first things I thought about to add to the story once I heard Booth give his great advice to Cam in the last episode.

**Booth staying with Bones:** I was unsure about that part. I'm glad that there were people happy about that! What do you think about Bones watching a modern classic movie with Booth?

**Promo/Booth's Possible Proposal:** I'm not happy that it looks like Sweets is pushing Booth into proposing. I'd think he would have learned his lesson with the gambling advice.

**Baby Duck:** Does anyone remember the first time Sweets was referred to as their baby duck?

**Aching Bones: **I agree with you where most of the blame lies… Booth and Sweets.

**JLxD:** Plenty of fluff on the journey for B&B. *u*

**OoopsAmObsessed:** I was glad to read that you agreed it was believable that Brennan would begin to open up the way she has in this story. I thought it was huge in the last episode that she basically agreed that love existed. I'm sure hoping that Booth doesn't put off breaking up with Hannah. It's going to happen since he loves Bones the most. Why wait?

**More than one story: **I'm relieved that it's okay with people that I have my creative musings going in so many directions making it necessary to write more than one story at a time.


	18. Conflicting Emotions in the Men

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Spoilers:** Season 6 (Includes promos and spoilers for future episodes)

**Rating:** T for language

**Author's Notes: **There's a lot going on in this chapter. As far as the break-up… very, very soon… in the next chapter soon.

I'm not an expert on Indiana basketball. What I reference in the story is what I remember someone else explaining to me.

_Review responses are at the end! Thank you for your encouragement._

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 18: Conflicting Emotions in the Men**

"I should have known that you'd have movies about sports." She was frowning.

"Just try this one. One of the supporting characters thinks academics are far more important than sports and doesn't allow the boy she's raising to play on the team even though he is really good."

"Smart lady."

"So, it's this one?" She nodded and went to get them some beers.

"I brought microwave popcorn. Movies are not the same without them." She just shook her head and smirked.

**~BOOTH&BONES~**

"Uh, Bones. We're supposed to be relaxing."

"That's what I thought we were doing."

He chuckled. "Lay back, prop your feet up, and relax your body as well as your mind."

"That's not the purpose of the coffee table. And relaxing the mind is impossible."

He decided not to argue with her about the mind. He would never win that one. "You don't have any shoes on. You won't hurt it. Come on," he coaxed. "Move over and act like you're me for a couple of hours." He chuckled more to himself than at Brennan. "I guess I shouldn't be too surprised that you don't take real vacations."

"My vacation time is real. I enjoy being at digs. It's stimulating."

_I can think of other things that would be much more stimulating. _He pushed it out of his mind knowing it was disloyal to Hannah. They weren't done, yet. "But you're still working, Bones. You even work on the weekends when there isn't a case. Think of this, me staying here, as my chance to teach you how to relax." He smiled at her look of skepticism.

"Can we just start the movie?" she asked.

"As soon as you get comfortable."

"I am comfortable, Booth." He quirked an eyebrow.

"I'm not going to bite."

"I should sure hope not."

"Bones, it's a saying. It means you don't have to sit so far away." He waited a few more moments until she decided to decrease the space but still allowing room so they weren't touching. Then he pushed "play."

"Why is the movie called _Hoosiers_? I figured it would be the name of the team."

"The short version… It's about a team from a school in rural Indiana. The first year that Indiana University (the Hoosiers) played in the National College Athletic Association, they were extraordinary. Since then, Indiana has been known for having great basketball teams. The state itself has become known for being the Hoosiers. You play there and you're considered a Hoosier."

"See what I mean? People put way too much emphasis on sports."

Booth chuckled. "Just watch the movie, Bones. I know you'll like it." He clicked off "pause." Amazingly, she was mostly quiet for the remainder of the movie.

**~BOOTH&BONES~**

"So, what did you think?"

"I admit I found it to be an inspiring story. I liked how the coach emphasized the concept of team work. And, of course, it portrayed academics being a worthwhile part of a person's life."

"Of course," he smiled at her way of saying she liked the movie.

"It reminded me about what you said after Hodgins and I were rescued from being buried alive." Booth got the look in his eyes, the one that showed great tenderness and caring for the woman he loved the most. "We were in the church. Do you remember what you said?"

He nodded. "I said I was thankful for every one of us because without one, you and Hodgins wouldn't have lived." Booth spoke softly and uncertainly. "Do you still have nightmares?"

She looked down. "I know it's irrational since she's gone but yes. I still have them. Do you?"

"I don't think it's irrational. The memory of how it felt won't completely go away. I still have nightmares about war… about when I lost my friend, Parker." She looked up at him with compassion. "And I still have an occasional nightmare about you and Hodgins not being alive when we got there. Sometimes the explosion was too much to survive. Sometimes, we were unable able to find you for days afterwards because there wasn't an explosion." His eyes were dark and haunted as he spoke. He took a deep breath and exhaled quickly like he was trying to rid himself of the emotional pain he was once again experiencing. The heavy feeling in his chest never went away very quickly after a nightmare.

She didn't know why she said it. "You were dating Cam then."

He nodded. "It wasn't the same after that, Cam and me." He looked down at their adjoined hands. "After almost losing you, I realized that I'd been right. I knew you were the one, even if you never realized the same thing." He could see that she was surprised even though he'd already said that he knew from the beginning. "Why are you surprised? I meant what I said at the Hoover."

"I thought that Sweets had convinced you to believe that. So it was up to me to protect you." Booth's jaw dropped. "Booth, you couldn't have known what you wanted."

"Why do you get to determine that?"

"I didn't. You said it."

"Whoa! Back up. You're not making any sense."

"Booth, you said you were the gambler. You wanted to "take a shot" at us. That implies you were unsure if it would work. They were conflicting emotions."

"Why didn't you say that then?"

"Because you would have tried to talk me out it."

"You were wrong in assuming that. Of course, I would have wanted you to change your mind. Why do you think I waited so long? I was just as afraid of losing you as you were of losing me. That's why Sweets had to push me."

"I'm not used to being wrong."

"You were scared. That can cloud thinking." _I should know. My fear of continuing to be rejected by the woman who I know is my soul mate had clouded my thoughts right into the arms of another woman… so far gone that she was actually living with me. God what a messed up life I have. I can't be loyal to two women. Someone is going to get hurt._

"It's late. I have clean sheets on the bed in the guest bedroom."

"Thank you, Bones. Good night. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, Booth."

He watched her walk away and then picked up what little mess they made. He hoped he was exhausted enough to fall asleep right away. Thinking about so many regrets was killing him.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Booth walked up the steps to the platform. _When was the last time I was here?_

"Booth. What are you doing here? You haven't been cleared for work."

"I'm not working. I just came to take you to dinner."

"It's a little early for dinner and I'm working."

"I can wait until you're ready. I'm bored, so don't think about throwing me out."

Cam looked at Jack with a questioning look. Hodgins shrugged his shoulders.

Brennan's phone vibrated. "The message is from Andrew Hacker. It looks like I'm going to Texas."

"Charlie and Perotta are in Michigan. Who's going with you?"

"I don't know. I'm supposed to call Andrew."

Three pairs of eyes waited for her answer after she disconnected the call.

"Bones?"

"I'm going alone. Did you know Sully is working as an agent in Texas?"

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Booth was once again saying good-bye to Brennan in the airport. She would only be gone for a day or two this time, but he was dreading the time away just as much. It suddenly occurred to him that he wasn't feeling this way about Hannah leaving for an assignment.

After saying good-bye to Angela and Hodgins, who offered to take Brennan to the airport, it was his turn.

"Call me when you land?"

"I'll be fine." He frowned. "But I'll call anyway." He wrapped her in a hug that was becoming familiar again. It was going to be a long couple of days.

He read the text he received from Sweets as they had arrived at the airport earlier. _Which was worse: being alone or drinking with Sweets?_ _Maybe I can make one choice more tolerable than the other._ "Hodgins, are you up for drinks tonight?"

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"So what changed? I thought you were keeping it casual with Daisy. Now you're thinking about marriage again?"

"I don't want to end up like you, Booth."

"What does that mean?"

"You're… what? 40? What's the longest relationship you've had?"

"What are you getting at?"

"Your dream is to be married and have a family, but you don't do anything about it. I don't want to still be waiting when I'm old."

"I'm not old. There's nothing wrong with waiting if you end up with the one you're meant to spend your life with, Sweets. Maybe you should wait until you're sure. Why settle for second best?"

Sweets pressed him. "But it's okay for you to settle for second best?"

"Is that what you think?"

"Yes," said Hodgins and Sweets.

"My life is off limits. We're here to talk about Sweets."

"We are?" asked Hodgins.

"Or we can talk about you." suggested Booth.

"Hey, I'm already married," Hodgins reminded them.

"Is it worth it?" asked Sweets.

"Worth everything we went through."

"That's what I want," said Sweets.

Booth nodded in understanding. "I think that's what most everyone wants, even if they won't admit it."

"Now you're talking about Dr. Brennan."

"Lay off Sweets. You've caused enough trouble."

"Hey, what could I have possibly done?"

"You told me to take a gamble."

Sweets jaw dropped.

"Hey, what did I miss?" asked Hodgins.

"Did you do what I think you did?"

"Yeah. Unfortunately."

"When?"

"Right after we left your office." Booth sighed and massaged the nape of his neck the way he does when he's stressed. "I should have waited until it didn't look like it was your idea to change things between us."

"And she ran to the Maluku Islands and you returned to Afghanistan." Booth nodded at Sweets. "I'm mega sorry."

"Okay. I am here, ya know," complained Hodgins.

"Booth admitted to Dr. Brennan he wanted a more intimate relationship with her and she turned him down. Is that correct?"

"That about sums it up. And I said I had to move on."

"You said that right away? You knew she wouldn't react positively right away."

"I know I screwed up. Okay? Let's just forget it ever happened."

"But you can't…"

Booth interrupted Sweets. "Drop it."

"Wait. This happened last spring?" asked Hodgins.

That surprised Booth. "You seriously didn't know?" Hodgins shook his head. "So, Angela doesn't know either."

"I don't know, but if she doesn't she's going to flip. You need to talk to Dr. B. I don't want to be getting in trouble because I'm keeping a secret from her." He laughed sarcastically at himself. "If only that was my only problem." He downed the remainder of his beer.

"Sounds like we need another round." Booth flagged down the waitress. "Okay. It's your turn to make an ass of yourself. Talk."

"Man, I'm not drunk enough, yet."

"Start drinking."

Booth's eyes lit up when he looked to see who was calling him. "It's Bones. I'll be back. I just need to step outside for a few minutes."

Hodgins looked at Sweets. "Man, it sounds like you really screwed up. You need to stay out of their personal lives. Even Angie hasn't been interfering. We took Dr. B. to the airport. That's when I found out that she's been out a couple of times with a detective. And Angie didn't seem to mind. I don't what Booth was thinking. He was very quiet."

Sweets groaned and hit his head on the table.

"There is a bright side." Sweets looked up at him with desperation. "Booth is staying with Brennan."

"Totally?"

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"There. I can hear you now," said Booth.

"Am I interrupting anything?" asked Brennan.

"Nothing important. I'm just having a few drinks with Sweets and Hodgins."

"Is that safe with your pain killers?"

"I didn't take them."

"Booth! I hope you're not in pain."

"I'm tough, Bones. It's not that bad. So, where are you?"

"I'm waiting to go to the crime scene with Sully and another agent."

"I didn't have a chance to ask earlier. Are you okay working with Sully again?"

"I don't have a choice. It surprised me and I don't like surprises. But I can compartmentalize."

"If you need someone to talk to, please call." When Brennan didn't say anything, he thought the call dropped. "Bones?"

"I'm still here."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. It's just different. Until a couple of days ago, we haven't been there for each other. It's nice that I can count on you again."

"I've always been here, Bones. I always will be."

"Have you talked to Hannah?"

"Why?"

"It's nothing." She was rushing. "I have to go. I see Sully looking for me. Don't forget, there's no problem staying at my apartment. Good night, Booth."

"Good night, Bones."

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"What did I miss?"

"I'm not the only living relative in my family," admitted Hodgins.

"You're not?" asked Booth.

"No. I said I was the only heir. I have another relative, but technically, she isn't an heir even though she's family. She doesn't take care of her own finances. The Cantileiver group takes care of it and I suspect they always will."

"Okay… So, something must have happened to cause you to think about it now," Sweets rationalized.

"Angie has to have some test to see if there is something wrong with the baby."

"Bones said the odds are against that especially since you don't have a family history…" Booth's mouthed formed an "O" as understanding dawned.

"Elleanna is a cousin who lives in an assisted living center in Virginia. She has Down Syndrome."

"Wow. That's huge. How's Angela handling it?" asked Sweets.

"She doesn't know."

"It's my professional and personal opinion that you shouldn't wait too long. It'll just keep getting worse."

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

When Booth returned to Brennan's apartment, it felt strangely like home. It felt natural to be there like time had never passed. He only wished he wasn't alone. To make up for the loss the best way he could, he went to get Brennan's pillow to use for the night.

That night when he dreamt of proposing to Hannah, the end was different. When he first started having the dreams, Hannah had said yes. Then Brennan told him that she regretted that she turned him down. She was upset they'd missed their moment. Since then, the dreams ended without an answer from Hannah. But last night was different. Hannah said she didn't want marriage. She missed her old life. She wanted to travel the world as a journalist like she was doing before meeting him. Booth woke up that morning feeling like a burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He would miss Hannah, but he wasn't going to crumble like he felt he was doing when Brennan rejected him. Booth knew what he had to do.

Booth's call to Hannah was sent to voice mail. _Can we get together and talk before you leave for the Middle East? Maybe lunch? _

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

**Author's Notes:** I'm unsure if I'll be watching episode 13. I might be a chicken. Balk balk.

**Review Responses**

Thank you for your reviews!** (Boneslover97, BrennanBooth, youngmedic, jrfanfrommo, Aching Bones, **and** SouthunLady)… **Your reviews are very encouraging.

**Booth/Hannah Break-up:** He's breaking up with her very soon.

**Hodgins' sister:** Elleanna is pronounced (Ell – ee – on – nuh). The name is a combination of her grandmothers' names. You will learn more about her in the coming chapters. It will have an important part in the storyline of B&B.

**Bones & Jake the detective:** You'll possibly find out about lunch in the next chapter.

**Booth staying with Brennan:** I was unsure about that. I hope it works.

**The movie **_**Hoosiers**_: _Hoosiers_ is a 1986 sports film about a small-town Indiana high school basketball team that wins the state championship. The story is set during 1951/1952, when all high schools in Indiana, regardless of size, competed in one state championship tournament. It is loosely based on the Milan High School team that won the 1954 state championship. Gene Hackman stars as Norman Dale, a new coach with a spotty past. The film co-stars Barbara Hershey and Sheb Wooley, and features Dennis Hopper as the basketball-loving town drunkard. His performance earned him an Oscar nomination.

**jrfanfrommo:** I hope you and your family are feeling better.


	19. A Lesson for the LoveSick Puppy

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Spoilers:** Season 6 (Includes promos and spoilers for future episodes)

**Rating:** T for language

**Author's Notes: **I hope you enjoy a couple of surprises this chapter will give you!

_Review responses are at the end! Thank you for your encouragement._

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 19: A Lesson for the Love-Sick Puppy**

It was midnight before Brennan, Sully, and Agent Jennifer Taylor were done at the scene. Brennan was happy that she and Sully were able to easily work with a friendly companionship. She noticed that he wore a wedding band but didn't comment on it. His partner, Jennifer, was pleasant and seemed unphased by Brennan's lack of cultural norms and figures of speech. She was tall and muscular with short blonde hair.

Sully was in communication with Charlie while Brennan examined the body and the bullet wound. As with the victims in Michigan, there was nothing out of the ordinary with the bullets used. All of the victims in Michigan and Texas were shot in the chest through the sternum with precision to kill. If she was sent on anymore trips such as this one, she would insist that Cam come with her.

Brennan had expected to be taken to a hotel, but Sully was having none of that. So at midnight Texas time, Brennan met Sully's wife, Jessica. Jessica was a few inches shorter than Brennan with long auburn hair. She was thin with the exception of a baby bump. Her eyes glowed with genuine happiness and Brennan felt welcomed right away. They didn't wait long to retire to bed and Brennan was given a small guest room decorated in shades of brown and burgundy.

She debated on whether to send a text to Booth. She didn't want to disturb him, but chances were that he was probably wondering how she was doing. The feeling made her feel wanted and secure, something she was missing for so many months.

**Bones** _(to Booth)_: Done at the scene. Could have used Cam's assistance. Too much flesh. Staying with Sully and his wife, Jessica. She seems friendly. They're expecting a baby in a few months. I'm happy for them. Sully's partner, Jennifer, is easy to work with.

Booth was asleep when he heard his phone buzz. He was surprised at the time. Brennan's pillow must have done the trick since he must have fallen asleep right away. Looking at the screen on his phone, he smiled. The smile only grew wider when he read that Sully was married and his partner was a woman. That made two less reasons to worry.

**Booth **(_to Bones_): Hi Bones. Thanks for the message. It's good to know you're with good people. Good night. Sweet dreams.

Brennan read the return message and fell fast asleep with a smile.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Brennan woke up to the smell of breakfast cooking. She got herself together and headed to the kitchen.

"Good morning," said Jessica with a smile. "I hope the bed was comfortable enough for you."

"It was quite comfortable. I didn't wake up even once."

"I'm glad to hear that," mumbled Sully. It earned him a playful smack on the rear.

"Hey, watch it! I'm a precious commodity." Jessica looked at Brennan and rolled her eyes.

Brennan chuckled. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"If you want to flip some pancakes, I'll go and grab a shower." Sully caught his wife's look. "What? She asked?"

"Before you go, why don't you call Jennifer and see if she would like a nice breakfast?"

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Brennan couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten so much for breakfast. She hoped it didn't haunt her all day and leave her tired. "Thank you for breakfast, Jessica. Your jam is delicious. Where do you get your fruit? Is it organic?"

"And here it comes." said Sully.

"I don't know what that means."

Sully chuckled at her. "Squint speak in the world of fruit and jam making. Oh, God, help me!"

"I don't see how he could be helpful in this situation," explained Brennan. She heard her phone chirp from inside her purse.

"Maybe, maybe not. But your phone can," said Sully in mock relief.

"I should have turned the sound off. Please excuse me. I just need to see if it's worked related."

"If it's Booth, I wanna talk to him."

She was surprised at what Sully said and answered the phone without looking at who was calling. "Brennan." She walked out of the kitchen and sat on a nearby rocking chair.

"Afraid I wouldn't know you?" asked Booth.

"What?"

Booth chuckled. "Never mind. Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Well, we're eating breakfast, but I'm assuming its fine. Sully wishes to speak with you."

"Oh. Okay. But I'm talking to you first."

"Why? Did something happen I should know about?"

"Do I have to have a reason?"

"Yes."

"Wrong answer. Maybe I just wanted to say good morning."

"Did you call Hannah and wish her a good morning?"

"Okay Bones. I wanted to hold off saying anything. And we'll still need to talk later. And you're not allowed to get mad."

"Booth, just tell me what it is."

He sighed. "I know what I'm doing. I think I've known it for awhile and didn't want to see the truth."

"Booth!"

"I'm ending it with Hannah, today. Remember, you're not allowed to get mad."

"Why are you telling me this when she doesn't even know?"

"Because you're my best friend, Bones. Best friends confide in each other."

"Okay then. I guess it's acceptable. But you do know it's Valentine's Day, right?" asked Brennan.

Booth groaned. He didn't even know what day of the week it was.

"Although, I don't get caught up in the frivolous holiday, I'm assuming Hannah finds it quite enjoyable."

"Please don't make me feel guilty and try and talk me out of this, Bones. How would it be better for us if we waited two weeks while we're on opposite sides of the world just for the sake of waiting?"

"Time and space, Booth. You taught me that. And after my time in the Maluku Islands, I understand the value in it."

"Bones, I admire you for how you were able to use your time in the Maluku Islands to …"

"Booth!"

"What?"

"You said Maluku Islands!" There were a few moments of silence. "You said it correctly. Thank you."

"Sure Bones. You know I was only playin' with you before you left, didn't you?"

Sully poked his head out of the kitchen. "Hey, did you tell that love-sick puppy that I wanted to talk to him?"

Booth heard him and assumed Brennan had been talking about Hannah. "What did you say to him, Bones?"

"I don't know what it means, but you do have this certain look that you get sometimes that reminds me of Riley's sad puppy eyes."

"Great. Thanks, Bones."

"What? Did I say something wrong?"

Sully laughed and held out his hand. "My turn."

She really had no idea why Sully would want to talk to Booth. She wondered if Booth was accepting or annoyed with him.

"How am I doing? Well, I'm sitting at my kitchen table having breakfast with three beautiful women. What do you think?"

"Could his ego get any bigger?" asked Jennifer.

"Oh! Knock on wood. Maybe it will prevent ego overload when the baby arrives," said Jessica in mock horror.

"Knocking on wood doesn't actually have any mystical powers." Brennan grew silent as she watched the women's laughter turn into stifled grins. "Oh. You were just joking." Jessica nodded and smiled genuinely.

"Tim has told me a lot about you. He always thought your lack of knowledge of colloquialisms was quite endearing."

"It's quite refreshing that you are not offended that I'm here."

"Why would I be? Jealousy is irrational. That was years ago." She paused momentarily. "And he's all mine!"

"I admire the way you think," said Brennan.

Sully's outraged voice broke through the women's conversation. "Who the hell is Hannah?" He didn't wait for a response. "Excuse me ladies. I have to have a private conversation with the idiot."

"Sully, I really don't think that's…"

Sully interrupted her. "No, Tempe. Please let me talk to him."

Brennan sat back down and Sully walked out of the house. Both women stared at her. Sully's partner spoke first. "He's run away three potential boyfriends in the past year."

"Three?" squealed Jessica. "When did the third one get interrogated?"

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Brennan, Sully, and Jennifer were finishing up investigating the second scene of another sniper victim. But this one was different. He wasn't a prisoner. A background check revealed that he had walked free from a technicality in his case. He had allegedly raped and murdered two children under the age of ten. This time they had a witness and Brennan felt more useful. She was eager in helping to identify possible suspects. Between all that they'd accomplished at two crime scenes, interviewing witnesses and keeping in contact with Charlie and Perotta, Brennan was wishing for a hot bath and sleep. That night she wished she could escape to a hotel and was trying to think about what Booth or Angela would say in the same circumstances.

"Brennan."

"Happy Valentine's Day, Bones. What would be your favorite Valentine's surprise?"

"It's a frivolous holiday, Booth."

"Then pretend it's a special day instead of a holiday. What kind of surprise would you like?"

"Okay, okay. I'll play along. I'm hot, tired and miserable. If I could have anything right now, it would be an air conditioned room and a nice warm bath."

"Not in the mood for being a house guest tonight?"

"Not exactly. I've been trying to figure out what would be the polite thing to say."

"Well, I might be able to help you out with that. Turn around."

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

**Review Responses**

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I have two other stories I'd like to update for Valentine's Day, but I'll do my best to get back to this story for the frivolous holiday, too. Thanks** chymom, horseninja, Aching Bones, KlingonGal8489, Boneslover97, twenty1down, SquintytotheBone, SouthunLady, **and** JET1967 **for your treasured reviews**!**

**Booth, Hodgins & Sweets:** I'm glad you liked the guy scene at the bar. I think I wrote that 3 times before I was satisfied.

**Angela:** I went with Angela not interfering because she's been that way on the show. It seems so OOC for her, but most of the characters have been that way this season. I'm starting to wonder if there is such a thing as IC and OOC for Bones. LOL! Actually the preview looks like Angela is talking with Booth again. Yay!

**The break-up:** It will be revealed in a flashback.

**Sully:** What did you think? Was it a welcomed surprise?

**Jack's Family:** I haven't heard too much about that spoiler. I'm glad you think my idea is realistic. I have some personal knowledge/experience on the subject, but laws on guardianship may change from state to state.

**horseninja:** Sweets has been one of my favorite characters. Three strikes and your out may be how I'm viewing him now. He has a lot to make up for IMO. If Booth ever found out about Sweets' experiment when he wasn't really dead, he may be in for a world of hurt. I think it wouldn't be as bad now since so much has happened in the B&B relationship that hasn't had anything to do with that case.

**JET1967:** Time is a short commodity. I welcome any reviews whether they are once in awhile or every chapter. They are all cherished.

**chymom: **Thanks for the encouragement!

**Episode 6x13:** I plucked my chicken feathers! I did watch the episode… it was even in real time. I had my hands covering my eyes a few times. I LOVED the last two scenes. I've watched them several times. I left some of my thoughts on my profile page if you're interested. I have many more I've posted in the Boneyard at the Fox Site. (PS… I've also watched next week's preview on YouTube several times! I'm looking forward to the next episode. You can search using **Bones 6x14**)


	20. The Making of a Precious Pampered Memory

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Spoilers:** Season 6 (Includes promos and spoilers for future episodes)

**Rating:** T for language

**Author's Notes: **My day didn't go as planned, but I did get some time to write. I didn't think I'd be updating this story, yet. You have tashayar333 to thank for this being my first story, today. *u* So, here's a short but fun filler chapter for you. Happy Valentine's Day!

_Review responses are at the end! Thank you for your encouragement._

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 20: The Making of a Precious Pampered Memory**

"_Happy Valentine's Day, Bones. What would be your favorite Valentine's surprise?"_

"_It's a frivolous holiday, Booth."_

"_Then pretend it's a special day instead of a holiday. What kind of surprise would you like?"_

"_Okay, okay. I'll play along. I'm hot, tired and miserable. If I could have anything right now, it would be an air conditioned room and a nice warm bath."_

"_Not in the mood for being a house guest tonight?"_

"_Not exactly. I've been trying to figure out what would be the polite thing to say."_

"_Well, I might be able to help you out with that. Turn around."_

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"No way." Brennan turned around with her phone still at her ear. The surprise was evident on her face. "Booth. What are you doing here?"

"Why don't you come over here and find out?" He dropped his phone into the pocket of his black leather jacket. He wore a black button down shirt, well worn blue jeans, and his black loafers. He met her half way and handed her one single daffodil that he had hidden behind his back. He flashed a super charming smile. "I have more where that came from."

She tilted her head. "I still don't know why you're here, Booth."

"You took good care of me while I was in the hospital. So, I'm here to pamper you." She looked amused. "You can't work 24 hours a day, Bones. And didn't you say you just wanted a bath and a cool room to sleep?"

"Yes," she drew out the word unsure of what was coming next.

"I have a hotel room ready. You have a big bathtub with bubbles, wine, and candles. Room service is available. And I've scheduled a massage for later this evening." His grin grew bigger as her eyes grew bigger with each revelation.

"Booth, you didn't have to do all that."

"Of course, I didn't. I wanted to. Besides, I have selfish reasons, too." She arched a brow. "I get to spend time with my best friend. Stop looking so surprised." Without warning, she flew into his arms for a guy hug. He kissed the top of her head. "Sully's waving us over. How much time do you think you have left here?"

"Unless something new happened, I should be done."

"Great. Let's see what he wants and hope we can get away from here." He looked at her when she stopped walking. "Everything okay?"

"I'm fine." From the past few days, she was on Boothy overload. Despite the recent hugs and touches, she wasn't prepared for normalcy. She used to take so much for granted. His hand at the small of her back was light, but it was such a shocking reminder of what she'd been missing everyday for almost a year.

"Bones? Are you sure you're okay?" He looked genuinely concerned.

"I'm just tired."

Sully walked up and slapped Booth on the shoulder engaging him in some male bonding ritual. "Booth, this is my partner, Agent Jennifer Taylor. Jennifer, this is an old buddy of mine, Special Agent Seeley Booth."

"You should have told me you were coming," said Sully. "I could have had someone meet you at the airport."

"Nah. I was good. But thanks for explaining how to get here. The hotel you suggested is very nice."

Brennan looked troubled. Sully was her first target. "You knew Booth was coming and you didn't tell me?"

"Hey, don't blame me. I'm a guy that knows when to keep his mouth shut. It's not like it was my idea. I just found out he was here less than two hours ago."

Brennan took a deep breath when she realized the trip was Booth's idea, but she glared at Sully anyway.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

After returning to Sully's house for Brennan's things and to meet his wife, they were able to excuse themselves from dinner very easily. After all, Sully did know when to keep his mouth shut.

"One room?" asked Brennan with her eyebrows raised.

"Double beds, Bones. We've done this many times before. This time is no different."

_This time is no different? What was I thinking? First, I made myself endure a hard-on while trying to watch TV because she was taking a leisurely bath just a few feet away from me. Then she decided to eat dinner in her robe since the masseuse would be there in just a little while for her massage. And now, the masseuse was setting up and asking Bones if she was ready. Was she going to take the robe off? Was she wearing anything on underneath it? This is torture, but this is sweet torture. This is so much better than the way I thought I would be spending my money this week. _

"Bones, I'm just going to lay here and listen to my iPod unless you're uncomfortable with me being here."

"Don't be ridiculous, Booth. You deserve to relax, too. Why didn't you schedule a massage for yourself?"

"No thanks, Bones. I really don't want some guy's hands all over me."

Brennan rolled her eyes. "Booth, I'm sure they have female masseuses."

_The only hands I want on me next are yours._ "No thank, you, Bones. I'm fine right here." His eyes were already closed feigning sleep. A few minutes later, Brennan began to moan. Booth clenched his teeth as he tried to control the tightening in his jeans. He dared a glance at Brennan with one eye opened. As soon as he saw all the creamy white skin, his other eye opened. She was facing the other direction so he continued to stare. The only thing covering her was a towel on her rear end. He gazed longingly at her back and legs. She moaned again and he realized that he indeed was going to need a cold shower, soon.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Booth and Brennan rested in separate beds.

"Thank you, Booth."

"I'm the one who needs to say _thank you_."

"I didn't do anything."

"Yes, you did. You made today livable again."

"Each day can only be lived once."

"Figure of speech, Bones." He would have laughed it he wasn't so serious. A few minutes of silence went by before he explained what he meant.

"You never met Agent Myles. He transferred to another city a few years ago. Shortly before he left, his girlfriend and he lost a baby. She was stillborn. They'd already made plans to get married after their baby girl was born, but in their grief, they postponed the wedding. They even lost their way for a few months. But true love pulled them back together. They were married on the one year anniversary of their daughter's death. I was really surprised, but they were open with why they did it that way. They said they wanted to make happy memories for the day so they had a reason enjoy it every year. I'm sure there was more to it than that, but that's what I remembered most about it. And well, when you reminded me it was Valentine's Day, I felt guilty about ruining it… even if it isn't a real holiday. It's not like it's something that's ever going to go away in our culture. So, if the day was going to be thrown in my face every year, I wanted happy memories to overrule any negative ones. And you allowed that to happen, Bones. Thank you."

"But what about, Hannah?"

"I can't fix that for her, but she's a smart and strong woman. She'll figure it out. We had a long talk before I made my plane reservations. You have nothing to feel guilty about. Hannah and I know the mistakes we've made. And although the journey ended painfully, we're both better for what we learned from it."

"Me, too."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I learned from everything that's happened in our lives over the last few months, too."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Yes, Booth. It's a very good thing."

"I'm glad to hear that. Sweet dreams, Bones."

"For you, too, Booth."

**Review Responses**

Thank you for all the fabulous reviews! I love hearing what you liked and what has you curious: **SouthunLady, Boneslover97, JLxD, Barb, Diko, harper83, ellevee, gally619, tashayar333, Aching Bones, SquintytotheBone, **and** chymom.**

**Breaking up with Hannah: **I hadn't originally planned for the break-up to be on Valentine's Day, but I went for it! LOL! I'm glad it went over well. What did you think of Booth's reasoning for going to Texas? The idea came to me from an unplanned personal experience and it really does help me.

**Booth's Valentine Surprise:** Was it fun enough without going overboard? It was so hard to remember they are only just friends right now. Darn! But there's more coming. You're going to love the end of the story... and all the yummy parts in between!

"**Turn around."** – Wouldn't you love to be the one turning around to see him standing there for you? Yeah… that would be a fabulous sight to see!

**Sully:** I really like how Barb worded it… "_And I like Sully as a married man, no competition but has an opinion on B&B."_

**Booth:** I agree! A positive and take-charge Booth is awesome! He's hot!


	21. It's alright I've got you

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Spoilers:** Season 6 (Includes promos and spoilers for future episodes)

**Rating:** T for language

**Author's Notes: **This is a really short chapter, but I think most shippers out there will enjoy it. I hadn't planned on this chapter going in this direction. It just kind of happened. Hopefully, it's still realistic and respectful.

**HouseBonesLove** made the 200th review for this story. So I offered her the opportunity to choose the next episode for my series, _Now, that's more like it!_ She chose the episode, _Aliens in a Spaceship_. I've already started writing it and it should be posted, soon.

_Review responses are at the end! Thank you for your encouragement.(Look for your name this time.)_

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 21: It's alright. I've got you.**

It was still dark when Booth woke up. With all he had been through in the last 24 hours, he was surprised he didn't sleep the night through. But then he heard Brennan and he realized what had woken him up. He wondered if she was dreaming about something sad or if she was simply crying about something instead of sleeping. He got up and went to her.

"Bones? Are you awake?" He didn't get a response. He turned on the bedside lamp on the lowest setting and saw that she was asleep. She let out a soft whimper and a sniffle. He grabbed some tissues and slid in beside her under the covers. He gently swept her bangs out of her eyes and dried her eyes and cheeks all the while whispering words of comfort. She gradually stirred from her sleep.

"I'm sorry I woke you."

"You never have to be sorry for something like that, Bones." He softly kissed her forehead. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I was dreaming about your brain tumor and surgery."

Booth played with her hair. "What happened?" he whispered even more quietly. He didn't like to see her hurting like this.

"You didn't wake up. I was in the operating room with you liked you asked. There were complications." She started weeping softly, again.

"Shh. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." He caressed her arm with one hand and tucked his other arm underneath her to hold her. "It's alright. I've got you." Booth remembered saying similar things to her well over a year ago shortly after he returned to work when the Harbinger doctor stabbed her in the arm. He wiped more tears from her eyes and cheeks.

Brennan calmed enough to talk again. "All the pain we've gone through over the last year, I'd do it all again if it meant you didn't die from your surgery."

He held her tight with both arms. His own eyes watered and a couple of tears escaped. He pulled back a bit. "Bones. Look at me. Open those beautiful eyes for me." She did as he asked. "You have the biggest heart of anyone I know. In some ways, you think too little of yourself. You shouldn't. You should be just as confident in your relationships as you are with your career and intelligence. There are days I don't feel like I deserve your friendship."

Brennan propped herself up on one arm and looked down on him in surprise. "Booth. That's crazy. You're the best friend I've ever had. I meant what I said; you make me a better person."

There was intense longing in their eyes as they looked at each other in silence. Booth finally cupped the back of her head and pulled her down to him for the sweetest kiss either had ever experienced. One kiss led to another and hands started to roam. With all the strength he had, Booth pulled away. "It's probably too soon. But please know that there is nothing I want more right now than to make love to you." He kissed her again.

Brennan pulled away next. "You're right," she whispered with deep regret. He admired her for her patience. The Temperance Brennan he knew a couple of years ago would have insisted that biological urges need to be met and nothing would have to change their partnership. Booth got up to take his second cold shower in less than twelve hours.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Okay, all together now… Awww! That was so sweet. Squee!**

**Review Responses**

Thank you for reviewing. I'm very humbled by the response this story has received.

**BBfansavl6, HouseBonesLove, bones35, Aching Bones, Boneslover97, SouthunLady, Animagus-Steph, bblover228, SquintytotheBones, tashayar333, Gally619, chymom, **and** jrfanfrommo.**

**Hotel Room & Massage:** So glad that it was a popular idea! I couldn't help but write Booth as being turned on. LOL

**Sully:** I liked the guy and the episodes that he was in. No egg throwing. LOL! I've been a shipper since the 2nd season. Yeah, it took me awhile. I wanted to include Sully in a story with a positive story line since he did have a big impact on Brennan's life and who her character is, today… in my opinion.

**BBfansavl6: **I love writing dialogue for B&B. Thank you for the compliment!

**Boneslover97:** Great dream! Thanks for sharing.

**tashayar333, SqunitytotheBones, SouthunLady & Gally619, bblover228: **Valentine's Day as friends… _tashayar333_, _SuintytotheBones__& SouthunLady_ - I hope this chapter was okay for you. Keeping my fingers crossed. I hadn't planned on going in this direction. It just kind of happened. _Gally619_ & _bblover228_ – I'm guessing you were very happy!

**Animagus-Steph:** I was glad to hear a Valentine's Day break-up isn't uncommon. Yikes, though. That would be very sad, especially if it wasn't mutual. From what you said, it was fine for your brother.

**Episode 614 (The Bikini in the Soup):** The ratings are posted on my profile page. For those who like to read my review, I'm afraid I don't have it up, yet. But I liked it… except for Sweets. By the way, did anyone else notice what he was wearing? Amusing.


	22. Copycats in the Mix

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Author's Notes:** You get some Parker Booth in this chapter! And there's a lot of fun B&B bicker and banter in this one, too. *u*

_Responses to your reviews are at the end. _

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 22: Copycats in the Mix **

When morning came, things were a bit awkward, but they quickly became comfortable with each other after they left the hotel room. Booth's hand returned to the small of her back and they enjoyed breakfast with Sully and his wife.

Brennan spent the morning at the local bureau. Angela was using her software to match the facial bone structure the witness and sketch artist gave her by using the criminal data base. Unfortunately, they were unsuccessful. They believed the murder was not linked to the murders of the prisoners and that it was a copycat murder at best. That was until the next case came in shortly before dinner. Another sniper victim was found. Now they had a pattern showing up. Texas had two convicted child murderers killed by a sniper and two victims who were tried for murdering children but were released on technicalities. The local news stations were tipped off and the media frenzy began. By the next morning, there were more sniper murders in three more states (Michigan, Ohio, and California). All the victims were either found not guilty of murdering children or released due to the lack of evidence. Brennan was asked to visit each state to help identify, with Angela's help, the suspects from sketch drawings given by witnesses.

Cullen was irritated when he discovered Booth was in Texas with Brennan. He didn't want to contend with the liability. Booth had to promise that his name wouldn't appear on any paperwork and that he would make it back to D.C. for his scheduled post-op check up with his doctor. Booth decided he could live with that. He wasn't ready to leave Brennan when they were regaining their close friendship.

Booth and Brennan were able to catch a quick dinner while making plans for traveling to Los Angelus. From there, Booth would return to D.C. for his doctor's appointment and fitness for duty evaluation while Brennan joined Charlie and Perotta in Akron, Ohio. Booth was also getting anxious to see Parker who would be back from Florida and living with his grandparents until Booth felt comfortable allowing him to resume his normal life.

"I'll buy your ticket to California."

"I can buy my own ticket, Bones."

"Don't you want to sit in first class?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I have more money than you."

"Yeah. Do you have to gloat?" His lopsided smile told her he was just teasing her.

"I don't gloat. I'm just stating a fact."

He chuckled. "You state that fact more than necessary. I already know you're loaded."

"You're always the one telling me that I need to spend it. So, let me do this for you. It can be my way of saying thank you for all the wonderful things you did for me last night."

_How am I supposed to say "no" to that?_ But he tried. "Last night's dinner and massage were a gift for being wonderful to me."

"And I just want to give you something, too. Didn't you say that a gift goes both ways? It will make us both happy."

Booth's smile was reflected in his eyes and made them warm and more comforting than usual. "Do you remember everything I say?"

"That would be impossible to answer." He smirked. "Oh. You're just showing how surprised you are when I remember what you've said. You shouldn't be surprised, Booth. I listen to what you say and value your opinion even when it doesn't match my own. And I have an excellent memory. So… are you going to let me buy your ticket?"

"Yeah. Okay. This time. But don't expect to be making a habit of it."

"You're such an alpha-male." …_with_ a_ charming smile._

Brennan's cell phone chirped as they were finishing eating at a family style restaurant. "It's Parker," she announced. Booth was obviously surprised. Brennan smiled brightly at him.

"Hi Parker. Are you feeling better?" asked Brennan. "That's wonderful… Yes, Max is pretty cool… A state report? Well, Parker, I'm a scientist just like Max, but I can help you find information for your state report and I'll learn right along with you." Brennan chuckled at something Parker must have said. Booth could see the gears spinning in her partner's head. He went on alert because he _**knew**_ he was probably going to be doing something he'd rather not. "Hold on a second while I talk with your father about an idea I have." Brennan covered the phone's speaker with her hand.

_And here it comes._ "Why don't you put it on speaker?" he asked.

"Because we're in a restaurant, Booth." She leaned forward slightly over the table in his direction. "Parker could learn so much more and is more likely to retain the information if he was able to see the places he was learning about."

"Are you kidding?" _Although Bones doesn't kid._

"I haven't even finished what I was going to propose, yet," she said in annoyance.

"I already know what you're going to say." claimed Booth.

"Then what was I going to say?" she challenged.

"Whatever it is involves traveling and we're on a case, Bones. We have copycat killers to catch."

"I'm on the case," she interrupted. "You should take advantage of the extra time for Parker.

"You want me to let you travel around the country alone?" asked Booth incredulously.

"Booth! I travel around the world alone. I can take care of myself. I don't need a body guard."

"No, but you do, on occasion, need me to keep you from making dangerous choices while working."

She glared at him. "You're making too much of this."

"We're partners, Bones. We have each other's backs. Okay? Parker will be just fine with his grandma helping him. That's where he's staying when he returns from Florida. Besides, I'll be back on the case, soon. What state is his report on? Virginia?"

"Michigan."

"What?" His voice level rose quite a bit and the people at the table next to them looked at them curiously.

"Michigan," repeated Brennan.

"I know what you said, Bones. How do you expect me to be taking Parker on field trips for a Michigan report?"

"You go to Michigan," Brennan stated like it was obvious.

They noticed a muffled little boy calling. "Bones! Are you still there?"

"Let me talk to him," he said.

"He called me, Booth." Booth's mouth became a straight line in annoyance.

"Yes, Parker. I'm here. Can I call you back about your report in the morning?"

**~BOOTH&BONES~**

Brennan was able to keep from smiling as she watched Booth enjoy the perks of first class. Mid-flight, Booth leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on Brennan's cheek. "Thank you," he simply said. Conversation flowed with the usual banter and before landing they were able to resolve their conflict over Parker. If Booth wasn't given the green light to return to field duty, then Parker would travel to Michigan with Booth while Brennan worked the case there. What was more likely to happen, Booth _would_ be able to resume field duty and Parker would get help using internet visual tours of Michigan's historical sites and museums.

In Los Angeles, Booth and Brennan were greeted by two agents, Carl Atkins and John Sanford. Booth and Brennan agreed to no PDA while working, so Booth was boiling inside when it became obvious that Agent Atkins was attracted to his Bones. He was also a bit annoyed that Brennan wasn't doing anything to stop it. But he reminded himself that she was more than likely oblivious to the flirting. He was forced to resort to his usual less effective tactics by verbally protecting her with subtle warnings… which of course annoyed Brennan!

**~TO BE CONTINUED~**

**Review Responses**

Thank you**: Boneslover10, cheysma2000, cast14, Aching Bones, mendenbar, BrennanBooth, Boneslover97, SquintytotheBone, bblover228, tashayar333, NCISaddict77, **and **SouthunLady.**

**Updates:** I got hung up on the transition back to the story line after Valentine's Day. The new Parker story line was added and now it's full speed ahead. If you're reading any of my other stories, I hope they have helped with the hiatus.

**Bad Dream:** I'm glad to read that you liked Booth comforting Brennan and they stopped themselves from moving forward too quickly. As for the wait time, they're going to be very busy for the next few chapters. But they will continue to emotionally connect. You might get a little kiss here and there.

**Elevator:** Yes. I'm caught up on reading the spoilers. Have you seen the promo pictures? In this story, there will be an elevator scene, but it will be very different from the show.


	23. So Hot

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Author's Notes:** This chapter is mainly case driven, but there is a little bit of fluff at the end. We'll be seeing Parker again soon. If not in the next chapter, then certainly in the one after that.

_Responses to your reviews are at the end. _

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 23: So Hot**

_In Los Angeles, Booth and Brennan were greeted by two agents, Carl Atkins and John Sanford. Booth and Brennan agreed to no PDA while working, so Booth was boiling inside when it became obvious that Agent Atkins was attracted to his Bones. He was also a bit annoyed that Brennan wasn't doing anything to stop it. But he reminded himself that she was more than likely oblivious to the flirting. He was forced to resort to his usual less effective tactics by verbally protecting her with subtle warnings… which of course annoyed Brennan!_

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

They met at the local bureau of investigations for updates and sharing information. Agent Atkins seemed to be the leader of the team. He referred to the white board. "All of the victims have either been convicted of crimes against children or they were alleged to have committed crimes against children. As you see, we are not ruling out any connections. As you are aware, we have professional sniper hits of convicted criminals in two states, Texas and Michigan, and the District of Columbia. There have been a lot of leads and finger pointing that hasn't led to any legitimate suspects. On the other hand, we have sniper hits in three states each with victims that were not convicted of their alleged crimes. Texas has two. I'm hoping you have something for us. Agent Sullivan did not come with you?"

"He will be here by midday, tomorrow. He wanted to work on more leads before leaving his partner with another agent who hasn't been involved with the case yet."

"Great. Okay, Michigan has three amateur sniper victims and two professional hits and Ohio has two amateur sniper victims who also were not convicted of their alleged crimes. Here in California, we have three victims from amateur snipers. We have a lot more information to start an investigation here which is why I'm guessing this is your first stop?" He looked at Brennan rather than Booth.

"I'm the federal agent," said Booth with annoyance. He flashed his badge. "Special Agent Seeley Booth."

"I was not informed that you would be accompanying Dr. Brennan since I was originally expecting Agent Sullivan."

"Like I said, he's on his way."

"And your role?" asked Sanford who had until then been quiet.

"Medical leave. As soon as I get clearance, this is my case, again."

"He worked it from the beginning which is what led to the bullet wound and collapsed lung," added Brennan. "It's only logical that he keep up on the information as long as he stays out of the field and at a desk."

"Thanks a lot, Bones," he mumbled.

Brennan looked confused. "I was only trying to help."

Atkins looked happy with the arrangement and he began to form a plan. "This will work out just great. Agent Booth, you can work here in the office with one of our supporting agents and Dr. Brennan can join Sanford and me in the field tomorrow morning. Once Sullivan gets here, he'll be able to join you and the brain trust here in the office."

"Uh, I'm not sure I really understand the arrangement. I'm not a field agent. I'm normally part of the _brain trust_ and I need access to my team via the internet at the Jeffersonian."

Booth smiled for the first time since they arrived.

"Of course, Dr. Brennan. I'm not used to working with a famous anthropologist. You'll need to help me learn the ropes. I trust that you are familiar with juggling the two aspects of the job?"

Booth scowled again. The man wasn't going to give up very easily. "Why don't we turn in for the night? Do we have a vehicle ready for us? What time should we meet back here in the morning?" asked Booth.

"I'm sorry, Agent Booth. We've had some budget cuts. I'll be taking you to the hotel."

The ride was a short one, but it seemed to Booth to be twice as long with Atkins rambling. He just hopped from one topic to the next. He reminded him of Parker.

"Let me help you with your luggage, Dr. Brennan," offered Atkins.

"That won't be necessary. I am fully capable of taking care of myself. And if you don't let go of my arm in two seconds, I'll have you flat on the ground in the same amount of time."

Atkins was so stunned that he stood there frozen. Brennan dropped her things and flipped him so that he was lying on his back on the grass along the driveway.

Booth chuckled. "She warned you." He walked up close to Brennan and whispered, "Have I told you lately how hot you are when you do that?" He grinned like a fool.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Booth was grateful for the separate rooms that night. He needed sleep and he knew he would be too wound up with his partner in the room no matter how far away she was. The next morning, Booth and Bones ate a continental breakfast provided by the hotel. His partner didn't look like she had slept as well as he had.

"You okay, Bones?"

"I'm fine."

Booth narrowed his eyes. "That means you're not fine. Please tell me what's wrong."

"I'm hot and I have a headache."

That surprised him. The air condition felt just right to him. "Do you think you may be getting sick?"

"I think it more likely has to do with the lack of air-conditioning in my room last night."

Booth eyebrows instantly went up. "Why didn't you tell me? You must have been miserable!"

"Not as miserable as I am now."

Booth felt miserable for her. It wasn't like Bones to complain about not feeling well. He couldn't remember the last time she'd been sick.

"I called the front desk," she admitted. "But maintenance couldn't do anything about it until today and there wasn't another room available."

"You could have stayed with me, Bones. I wish you hadn't suffered."

"It wasn't that bad, Booth. I survived."

"Bones, you never complain about how you feel. So, it was _bad_!"

She couldn't help the shy crooked smile that appeared. Sometimes she forgot how well he knew her.

"I'm going to get some aspirin or something for that headache," he told her.

"I'm fine. I don't like to take medication when it isn't necessary."

"This time it's necessary. Trust me on this one, Bones. You're going to be out in the heat today and it'll only exacerbate the headache."

"I suppose you're right."

He quirked a brow. "That's it? No more complaints and excuses?"

"You made your point very clear and concise. And it was logical."

He charmed her with his smile and bent over to give her a brief kiss. They hadn't known it, but Agent Sanford had just walked in the lobby where they were and was quite shocked at what he saw.

Booth and Brennan were surprised that it was Agent Sanford who picked them up.

"I guess you made Agent Atkins nervous, Bones," smirked Booth.

"Are you two ready to go?"

Booth thought the man looked uncomfortable but ignored it. He really didn't know much about him and maybe that was his quirky personality. "We just need to stop at a pharmacy to get Bones some aspirin for her headache."

"Bones?"

"Dr. Brennan," he Booth corrected.

Rumors about the partners were well known around the country. It was interesting to observe them up close. He was going to have a field day when they left and he could be free to gossip at the bar.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

While Agent Sanford had been bringing Booth and Brennan back to the bureau, Atkins was bringing their suspects in for questioning. Booth and Brennan watched from the side room with a speaker. Before they began, Angela had confirmed that the men were not in the database and therefore had not been convicted of any crimes as adults.

Just as they were to begin, Sully arrived. Somewhat agitated, Atkins and Sanford left their first suspect in the interrogation room to meet with Sully.

"Agent Sullivan," he introduced himself, held out his hand, and gave them each firm handshakes. "We tracked down our main suspect and he confessed to both hits in Texas."

_So, now the beach agents are interested_, mused Booth.

Sully continued to run down the facts so the interrogation could get started. "The suspect is John Kimble. He's 29 years of age. His niece was molested and murdered 5 years ago. He claims he hadn't thought of revenge until he received a phone call last week. He wasn't able to identify the caller. Money was wired into his banking account for the amount of $5,000.00."

"$5,000.00? You've got to be kidding me! That's all?" asked Booth.

"That's not all. He also took a shot and killed another guy who walked. He didn't have any connection to the man but was willing to do it for another five grand which was wired to a new account he'd set up at another bank. How many suspects are you interrogating, today?" asked Sully.

"We have 3 victims that were never convicted of their alleged crimes against children and we have 3 suspects," answered Sanford. "If anything they say triggers something your guy said, use the speaker."

"Will do."

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

All three suspects gave the similar information as the one in Texas. They had been contacted by phone and had money deposited in their accounts with the agreement to snipe their victims. Each one had a grudge against their victim. Two of the men accepted $5,000.00. One of the men wouldn't deal until he was given $10,000.00. Like the suspect in Texas, they were unable to identify the caller. Although cell phones were collected and data analyzed, they had no luck.

Soon after the hours of interrogations were done, Booth decided that Brennan looked worse than she had in the morning. "Bones, it's time to admit that you're sick. I know you have a great immune system, but you've been on two flights where germs can run rampant." Bones didn't even have the energy to deny it. "I'm taking you back to the hotel."

"You don't have a car, Booth."

Agent Atkins started to offer, but Sully interrupted him. Booth gave him a thankful smile. "I rented one," said Sully.

Booth walked out with Sully and Brennan. "Thanks, man," Booth said in a low voice. "Atkins has been hitting on her since last night."

"Let me guess, she didn't even notice," Sully rolled his eyes. He didn't even need the confirmation Booth gave him.

"Last night her room didn't have air condition. If it's still not fixed, I'll take her to my room. Where are you staying?"

"I didn't take the time to look, yet."

"In that case, you can stay in Brennan's room and badger the front desk and maintenance," answered Booth with a grin. "That way I can take care of her."

"I can take care of myself. Alpha-males!"

Booth and Sully just chuckled. "I forgot how head-strong she can be," said Sully.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Sully returned sooner than Booth had expected. "Turn on the TV. We have another professional sniper hit. A convicted criminal up for parole has been shot on his way to the court house."

They watched in silence for a few minutes while Brennan slept.

"Do you suppose the sniper knows you're here?"

"It is a possibility, but it could also mean that he's the one behind hiring the amateur shootings."

"It looks like I'll be staying a little longer than I expected. I hated leaving Jessica in her condition. I need to call her. Before I leave, is there anything I can get you?"

"Nah, I'm good. I can order room service when I'm hungry. Can you keep me in the loop?"

"Sure thing. When do you go back on duty?"

"I'm supposed to be leaving tomorrow for D.C. But I think I'll wait to see how Bones is. She's supposed to be meeting agents in Akron, Ohio."

"Well, I hope she recovers soon. I'll keep in touch."

Sully was just about to close the door when he poked his head back in. You were right about Tempe's room. It's an oven!"

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"Booth?" Brennan moaned. Booth walked out of the bathroom and went right to her. "I really don't like feeling this way. I feel weak and useless."

"You'll be back to your crime solving ways in a couple of days."

"Maybe if I get up and become more active, I'll shake this and be useful. I hate wasting time."

He chuckled a bit. "Lie back down, Bones. You're sick. You're supposed to be using your time this way so your body can do the work of making you feel better. See, you're not wasting time. You're giving it." Booth was proud of himself and his charming smile was proof.

"Did you just use logic on me?"

"Did it work?"

'Maybe."

But she took more Tylenol ® and flu medicine. Soon, she was sleeping again. He cuddled up to her only to find she had another fever. He sighed and moved away. He whispered in her ear. "I'll take care of you, Bones. I'll always take care of you." He brushed her bangs off her sweaty forehead and gave it a light kiss.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

**Review Responses**

Thank you for your patience with the updates and for your reviews**: healingcat, cheysma2000, Aching Bones, SouthunLady, NCISaddict77, bones35, Boneslover97, mendenbar, **and **Boneslover10.**

**Parker & Brennan: **I've always imagined that they would have a strong bond. I think we've seen hints of it on the show and I imagine it would grow as B&B spend more time together again. I'm glad that people like that he called her for help on his state project. I think you'll like the upcoming storyline. It's fun and fluffy to lighten up the mood of the case.

**B&B and taking it slow:** In this storyline, I agree. They shouldn't jump into a relationship. It would be too much like a rebound and those don't usually fair so well. They may have a better chance than most though since they have such a long history.

**Booth allowing Brennan to do stuff:** I'm thinking that they'll both need to start seeing they will have to make some compromises since they're alpha-male and alpha-female.

**mendenbar**_**:**__ "Booth thinks he can dictate to Brennan"_ – Yep, another one of those things that will need to be adapted. But their relationship is strong since it's built on trust and friendship. They'll work it all out!

**bones35:** _"__Love the banter; classic Booth and Brennan. You have captured the essence of these two - love it!"_ – Thanks for the huge compliment!

**Promo Photos** are on my blog. You can find the link near the top of my profile page. I'm also going to be writing my reviews there instead of posting them on my profile.


	24. Always Expect the Unexpected

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Author's Notes:** It's a quick update, but there are scenes I want to get to before Thursday's episode.

Phone calls are one-sided conversations.

_Responses to your reviews are at the end. _

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 24: Always Expect the Unexpected**

When Brennan developed a cough the next day, Booth decided that he would delay his trip back to D.C. Of course, Brennan protested vehemently explaining it was just a cough.

"Bones, it's not just a cough. You have other symptoms. At least give it one more day just to be on the safe side."

Brennan tried to glare at him with her mouth in a straight line and she started coughing again. Booth smirked but decided to stay quiet. He didn't need her worked up and making her symptoms worse.

Booth called his doctor's office. Because of the nature of his follow-up visit, according to the receptionist, she transferred him to a nurse. He rolled his eyes as he waited with the '_elevator music'_.

_The doctor is a surgeon. Wouldn't all his patients require special follow-ups?_ The nurse finally answered. He quickly found out that he'd given too much information as to why it was necessary for him to delay his post-op appointment. Combined with Brennan's coughing in the background, it did not fair well for Booth. He hung up the phone in disbelief.

"What's wrong, Booth?"

"Apparently, flying wasn't the best idea. She said something about cabin pressure, air quality, and germs. And then she heard you coughing. Bronchitis could complicate my recovery. Just what I need… overprotective doctors and nurses."

"So what do they expect you to do now? You're in California."

"I have to get checked out by an E.R. doctor here to get clearance to get on a plane. I'll probably have x-rays done and be put on antibiotics as a precaution."

"I'm sorry, Booth."

"Why? This isn't your fault. And besides, I can take you with me. Maybe the cold or flu is something more… like bronchitis?"

"I'm fine! But since you have to go, I might as well, too."

I just want to call Parker and then we can leave.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"Angela? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, Ange. But I can't understand. I need you to calm down."

The alarm in her voice got Booth's attention. The hotel shuttle bus took guests to hospitals when needed. He was thankful for the courtesy.

"Are they sure? Tests can be wrong… There's more?" Brennan looked to Booth for help. He was the one who helped her in complicated social situations, but he, of course, had no idea what the problem was. Tears started to flood her eyes and the coughing began again.

"Angela, please don't worry about my health at a time like this… Yes, I'm already doing that. Booth insisted."

"I wish I knew what to say to ease your pain. I'm not good at these things."

Booth's eyes grew big as he considered the possibilities. "Did she have a miscarriage," he whispered. Brennan shook her head and Booth relaxed his shoulders. But the concern on his face was still there.

"I'm coming home as soon as I can… They can handle things without me… Yes, I know I'm a genius. I have several doctorates, but you're more important right now. That's what friends do… I'm finally using the friends' card."

_Friends' card?_

"I'll call you when I have flight arrangements."

"Bones?"

Booth's cell phone buzzed. He was about to hit ignore when he noticed it was Sully.

"Booth."

"Another one? Where this time?"

"That one sounds the most similar to Taffet's murder. How many guards were injured or killed?"

"Bones and I are on our way to the emergency room. She's developed a cough that could be bronchitis and my doctor is requiring clearance before I get back on a plane… I wish we could be of more help. Keep us posted."

"Booth?"

Brennan's phone buzzed. Booth chuckled. "You've got to be kidding me."

"It's Charlie. You know more than I do at this point. Why don't you take the call?"

"He doesn't even know I'm unofficially working the case, Bones."

"We can't do anything about that, now. Here." And she handed him the phone.

"Booth… Yah, I'm on Bones' phone. What's going on in your investigation?"

"She's sick. Actually, we're both being checked out at the closest E.R… We're still very much in the game."

Booth listened and then shared the latest sniper case thus filling in Brennan on what she wanted to know.

"I'll let you know our plans after we see a doctor. In the meantime, keep us posted."

They were pulling up to the E.R. doors just as Booth ended the call. _"Another delay," _thought Bones.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"The x-rays show no further damage compared to the one's your doctor in D.C. sent to me electronically. But I agree you should be put on antibiotics as a precaution. Give it at least 24 hours before you get back on a plane. 48 hours would be better. If you develop a cough, it will be painful. If that happens, seek medical attention."

Booth and Brennan filled their prescriptions and were happy to leave after a ridiculous amount of time waiting to see a doctor.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"You know what we should do today, Bones?"

"I couldn't possibly know what your mind is thinking, Booth."

Booth smiled brightly. "We should chill out!"

"I don't know what that means."

"It means that we're going to relax. Maybe watch some movies in our hotel room. We'll probably need to catch some local news and talk to agents, but for the most part, we should just relax."

"But Booth, that would be a waste of time that we could be using productively."

"Bones, you need to learn how to relax and now is a perfect time as you're recovering."

"Am I allowed to work on my book during this '_chilling out'_ time?"

He smiled his adorably sexy smile. "Only if you let me help."

"I never let you read my books before they're published. Why would I let you help write them?"

"Aw. Come on, Bones. Make an exception this time under unusual circumstances. It could be fun!"

"I'll think about."

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

**Next Chapter: Chilling Out**

**Review Responses**

**SouthunLady:** Agent WhatsHisName was rather annoying. I couldn't resist having Booth tell her once again that she was hot for taking a guy down. Remember the 100th episode when she did that with the senator? Booth taking care of Bones is always good to see. I missed that when WhatsHerName was on the show.

**Cheysma2000: **There will be more hints of romance, but they will still move slowly for now.

**TheLoveOfBones:** It's good to see you here on fanfiction! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Booth taking care of Bones is cute just like he watches out that she eats and leaves work at a reasonable time.


	25. Chilling Out

**Disclaimer:** Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Author's Notes:** Here's some light-hearted fun and fluff for you. This chapter is partially written in a different style that I normally do. In some situations, I wrote snippets of conversations instead of whole scenes. When you see **~BOOTH&BONES~**, a small amount of time has elapsed.

_Responses to your reviews are at the end. _

**The Trouble in the Triangle**

**Chapter 25: Chilling Out**

Booth was flipping through the TV stations available at the hotel they were staying at. "Hey, Bones! Good news!" Of course, she couldn't hear him. She was still in the shower. _That's a mighty long shower!_ He got up and opened the door about an inch and tried again. "Hey Bones! Good news!"

"Booth! What are you doing?"

"Bones, I can't see anything. That shower curtain is a yuck green." He poked his head in and there she was wrapped in a towel."

He looked her up and down. "I thought you were taking a long shower."

"I shaved my legs first, not that you needed to know that. I was just about to get in. Now unless you're joining me, please walk back out so the water doesn't turn cold on me."

As soon as she mentioned joining her in the shower he immediately got hard. "Yeah, I'll be going. And if you run out of hot water, that won't be a problem for me. I need it cold." And he closed the door on a laughing Brennan.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"I'm surprised you'd want to watch a movie about a war."

"It's WWII, Bones." He dragged out her name to encourage enthusiasm. The charming smile was in full wattage. "You know you're interested. And it's a good story. Heart crushing at first but heart warming at the end."

"You're really interested in this?"

"It's history, Bones. It's a piece of the United States of America. That war was nothing like the one I was fighting. It's fine. I promise."

**~BOOTH&BONES~**

They were only a few minutes into the story when she looked over at him. "Four brothers from the same family went to war? What were their parents thinking?"

"It's patriotism, Bones. Keep watching. I promise it will get better."

"Three brothers are dead and I'm supposed to believe it's going to get better?"

**~BOOTH&BONES~**

"Bones, relax. No wonder you don't watch TV. Relaxing isn't part of you is it?"

"Shhh!"

"Did you just shush me?"

**~BOOTH&BONES~**

"Okay, I can see how in the middle of a battle being a hero is just something you do without thought. There's no time to think. You just react. But I'm still mad at you."

"You're mad at me?"

"As irrational as my request was to ask you not to be a hero, I could have lost you. It was bad enough when I thought I lost you when you faked your death. What would I do if you hadn't come home?"

He didn't know why, but he hadn't thought of her thinking about it that way. He thought she was just mad at saving Hannah and then having sex with her out of gratitude… under a fig tree no less. He never felt so shallow.

He hugged her. It didn't seem like she was crying. He was sure it would cause another round of coughing if she was. He ran his fingers through her hair and said comforting words such as, "I'm here, now. I'm sorry I worried you."

When she eventually pulled away, they finished watching the movie.

**~BOOTH&BONES~**

"What sounds good to eat, Bones?"

"Nothing, really."

"You have to eat."

"Maybe some vegetable soup as long as it doesn't have beef broth."

He picked up the phone for room service. "I'll see what I can do."

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"Thanks, Booth. That was good." Brennan was delighted that Booth was taking care of her again. She really had missed him when Hannah was around. There just wasn't enough time in Booth's life for her.

"It was worth the trip to the specialty bakery," he smiled. "Were you working on your book while I was gone?"

"Yes," she stated as a matter of fact.

"Are you going to let me help?"

"I'm still thinking about it."

**~BOOTH&BONES~**

Booth was flipping through the TV channels. "Bones, you've been thinking about it for over 20 minutes."

"You can be really persistent. It's annoying at times."

Booth chuckled. "I'll take that as a compliment coming from you."

**~BOOTH&BONES~**

"Aw Bones! You can't leave it there."

"Cliffhangers are a natural part of a story, Booth. You should be familiar with them since you read my books."

"But this cliffhanger is just mean."

"Mean?"

"Yeah. You should at least let them make-out before she has to go to the airport without knowing when they'd see each other again."

"But wouldn't that cause more heartache. I just don't see the point. It's better for her to protect herself from such pain."

"Protecting yourself from such emotions can bring just as much pain." _This scenario is sounding very familiar_.

**~BOOTH&BONES~**

"Wow, Bones! That's a very creative action-packed plot twist at the airport."

"Thank you."

"How does your magical mind come up with these ideas?"

"Booth, there's no magic. I'm just very intelligent. I have…"

He kissed her as a way of interrupting her. Then he finished her speech. "Three doctorates degrees and you're a world famous anthropologist. Published many times in journals as well as writing best selling novels. Did I leave anything out?"

"I'm rich."

Booth laughed. "Of course, you are. And you're also very generous."

"You're always telling me to spend my money."

"I've been saying you need to spend a little on yourself. You deserve it."

"Other people can benefit from it. I hardly need all that money."

"As I said, you're generous. Think of all those people you helped in Andy's community."

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Brennan put her phone on speaker so that they both could hear the latest news on the cases going on across the country. Then Brennan made their flight arrangements for the next afternoon. Their plans changed. They would both be heading back to D.C. for a couple of days. Sully was planning to return to Texas the next day and Charlie and Perotta were moving on to Kansas City, Missouri where more amateur sniper victims were found.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"I'm glad we're not waiting another day to leave here."

"Would you like to talk about Angela? You're obviously very worried about her."

"Angela and Hodgins got the results back from the amniocentesis. They didn't get good news."

"The baby? Is it alright?" Brennan shook her head. "What's wrong?" he whispered.

"She has Down Syndrome."

"Oh," was all he said. _What was there to say? It's not something I've ever had to deal with._

"That's not all, Booth."

_What else could possibly be wrong? The news was frightening enough._

"Hodgins has a sister."

"What? That can't be. He told us years ago that he was the sole heir of the Cantilever group."

"That's technically correct. His sister isn't an heir, but the board provides for her care."

"I don't understand," admitted Booth.

"Hodgins has a younger sister. Her name is Annalisa. She was born with Down Syndrome."

"Where… Where has she been all these years?"

"I don't know. Booth, I'm not good at these kinds of things. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know if I should ask questions. I need your help."

"Bones, I don't think this is something anyone is prepared for. My guess is that parents learn as they go along. And they probably meet new people who are experiencing the same thing. I think the best thing we can do for them is to be there, not shy away and act frightened. And a hug goes a long way."

"Yeah. Your hugs do help. I've never been the type to give hugs, though."

"She's one of your best friends. I think you'll find it natural when she needs you most."

"Thank you, Booth."

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"Do you think we'll get any sleep tonight, Booth, with all of my coughing?"

"That's what the prescription cough syrup is for. Let me grab it. We'll be snoring before you know it."

"I don't snore."

"Yes, you do."

"You're making that up."

Booth chuckled. "It's soft and doesn't wake me up, but Bones, you do snore."

She threw a pillow at him.

**~BOOTH&BONES~**

"Bones? Are you asleep, yet?"

"Almost," she replied followed by a yawn.

"Sorry. I won't bother you then."

**~BOOTH&BONES~**

"Booth? Are you asleep?" she asked a few minutes later.

He chuckled. "Not yet. Something on your mind?"

"Angela."

"Come closer and let me hold you for awhile."

**~BOOTH&BONES~**

"Parker is a good kid."

"Yeah. He's great! I can't imagine my life without him."

"You're a great father, Booth."

"Do you ever think about having a baby again?"

"I did for quite some time after your surgery."

"What changed your mind?"

"Circumstances."

"Care to elaborate?"

"I don't think I'm ready to talk about it."

**~BOOTH&BONES~**

"Did you ever think about having a baby with Hannah?"

"I tried, but it never really seemed possible."

"I don't know what that means."

"I never was able to imagine it… like seeing a photo in a picture frame. It didn't seem possible. I guess it's hard to explain."

"I think I know what you mean, now."

"Can I ask you to do something for me?"

"Yes. I don't know if I can answer the way you want me to, though."

"Will you stop talking about Hannah when we're in bed?"

"That seems like a reasonable request."

"Thank you."

**~BOOTH&BONES~**

"Booth?"

"Yeah?"

"We're both on antibiotics."

"Right," he drew out the word.

"Can I get a kiss goodnight?"

"Are you sure that's wise?"

"No. But I want one anyway." He could hear a smile in her voice.

"How could I ever say 'no' to a kiss with you, Bones?"

"That's good to know."

_I could be in for some trouble giving that bit of information. _

They kept there kisses short after the first one left them breathless and had Brennan coughing.

"Goodnight, Bones."

"Goodnight, Booth."

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

**Review Responses**

Thank you for your reviews: **BBfansavl6, rmbuckeye, harper83, SouthunLady, Barb, Boneslover97, TheLoveOfBones, **and** bones35.** I'm glad you're enjoying the quick updates!

**Angela:** We found out about Angela's baby. We still have more to learn about Hodgins' sister. Brennan will be seeing them soon when she returns to D.C. with Booth. Brennan used the '_friend card'_ because Angela didn't want her to feel like she needed to stop everything to come and see her.

**rmbuckeye:** I'm glad you found this story and liking it so much. It's great to get new readers. I'm also glad to read that there is another Bones fan that liked Sully!

**bones35:** I'm looking forward to your reaction of Booth's help with Brennan's book!


	26. Chapter 26  A Correction

**Correction Needed**

**Author's Notes:** Thank you to the reader who pointed out the contradictions in my story. I forgot that I had already mentioned Hodgins other living relative in chapter 18. So I've had to revise my last chapter (25)

**The differences were:**

**Chapter 18:** a cousin named Elleanna with Down Syndrome; Booth knew Hodgins was worried about the amniocentesis that Angela needed to have. The facts in this chapter will remian the same.

**Old Chapter 25**: a younger sister named Annalisa, the amniocentesis results now known, Bren learns about Hodgins (cousin) and she tells Booth because he didn't know when he actually did… oops. The facts in this chapter will change.

* * *

**An excerpt from Chapter 18 read:**

"What did I miss?"

"I'm not the only living relative in my family," admitted Hodgins.

"You're not?" asked Booth.

"No. I said I was the only heir. I have another relative, but technically, she isn't an heir even though she's family. She doesn't take care of her own finances. The Cantileiver group takes care of it and I suspect they always will."

"Okay… So, something must have happened to cause you to think about it now," Sweets rationalized.

"Angie has to have some test to see if there is something wrong with the baby."

"Bones said the odds are against that especially since you don't have a family history…" Booth's mouthed formed an "O" as understanding dawned.

"Elleanna is a cousin who lives in an assisted living center in Virginia. She has Down Syndrome."

"Wow. That's huge. How's Angela handling it?" asked Sweets.

"She doesn't know."

"It's my professional and personal opinion that you shouldn't wait too long. It'll just keep getting worse."

* * *

**The former and incorrect scene from Chapter 25 (In case you want to reread it.):**

_**(The new scene is after this one.)**_

"Would you like to talk about Angela? You're obviously very worried about her."

"Angela and Hodgins got the results back from the amniocentesis. They didn't get good news."

"The baby? Is it alright?" Brennan shook her head. "What's wrong?" he whispered.

"She has Down Syndrome."

"Oh," was all he said. _What was there to say? It's not something I've ever had to deal with._

"That's not all, Booth."

_What else could possibly be wrong? The news was frightening enough._

"Hodgins has a sister."

"What? That can't be. He told us years ago that he was the sole heir of the Cantilever group."

"That's technically correct. His sister isn't an heir, but the board provides for her care."

"I don't understand," admitted Booth.

"Hodgins has a younger sister. Her name is Annalisa. She was born with Down Syndrome."

"Where… Where has she been all these years?"

"I don't know. Booth, I'm not good at these kinds of things. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know if I should ask questions. I need your help."

"Bones, I don't think this is something anyone is prepared for. My guess is that parents learn as they go along. And they probably meet new people who are experiencing the same thing. I think the best thing we can do for them is to be there, not shy away and act frightened. And a hug goes a long way."

"Yeah. Your hugs do help. I've never been the type to give hugs, though."

"She's one of your best friends. I think you'll find it natural when she needs you most."

"Thank you, Booth."

* * *

**The new scene from chapter 25:**

"Would you like to talk about Angela? You're obviously very worried about her."

"Angela and Hodgins got the results back from the amniocentesis. They didn't get good news."

"The baby? Is it alright?" Brennan shook her head. "What's wrong?" he whispered.

"She has Down Syndrome."

"Oh," was all he said. _What was there to say? It's not something I've ever had to deal with._

"That's not all, Booth. Hodgins has a cousin with Down Syndrome. I think she said her name is Ellie. I don't understand why this was a secret. I thought he was the only one left in his family."

"The night you went to Texas, I went out and had drinks with Sweets and Hodgins. Hodgins was worried about that test Angela needed. I found out then about his cousin."

"Why didn't you tell me?

"I just haven't thought about it. I was more interested in the case."

"Is that all?' she asked a smile and tilted head.

"Noooo." I've definitely been distracted by a very beautiful and intelligent crime solving anthropologist who's working on those cases."

"Good answer."

He chuckled and gave her a quick chaste kiss on the lips.

"So what about the Cantilever group? I thought Hodgins was the sole heir?"

"That's technically correct. His cousin isn't an heir, but the board provides for her care."

"Where has she been all these years?"

"I can't remember exactly. Virginia, I think. She lives in some type of assisted living housing."

"I don't know what to say to Angela, Booth. I'm not good at these kinds of things. I didn't know what to say to her on the phone. I didn't know if I should ask questions. I need your help."

"Bones, I don't think this is something anyone is prepared for. My guess is that parents learn as they go along. And they probably meet new people who are experiencing the same thing. I think the best thing we can do for them is to be there, not shy away and act frightened. And a hug goes a long way."

"Yeah. Your hugs do help. I've never been the type to give hugs, though."

"She's one of your best friends. I think you'll find it natural when she needs you most."

"Thank you, Booth."

**

* * *

**

**So, as a wrap up,** Hodgins has a cousin named Elleanna who they call Ellie. She lives in an assisted living center in Virginia. She has Down Syndrome. (Chapter 18 facts stay the same) Now we know the baby Angela and Hodgins are expecting also has Down Syndrome. (Chapter 25)

_**In the next chapter, Booth and Bones will be back in D.C.**_

_**Author's Note:**__ Sorry for the big error. I guess 3 chapters in one day wasn't such a good idea. Too much rushing._

_**Promo Video Clips**: A 4th one came out today. The first 3 can be viewed on my blog. There is a link to the 4th one. It's not fluffy; it's scary. Watch at your own risk._


End file.
